If I Knew Love Was So Dangerous I Would Not Have Loved
by Originalhybridlover
Summary: When Klaus returned to New Orleans he did not expect to find his son Marcel as the reigning king or that his wife Caroline was at his side, the Queen mother to the self proclaimed King. He had thought them both dead only to find they had lived and flourished in a city that he built and he wanted it back. He wanted it all back but nothng more than he wanted Caroline back. [ON-HIATUS
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I first posted this on AO3 a while back when the forth season of Originals had started airing and gave me family feels and that's what inspired this story. I love Klaroline and I love the dynamic between Klaus and Marcel and so I wanted to play around with it a bit.**

 **I hope you like this Canon AU. Where Caroline is a part of the Mikaelson family but is not an original. Just a really, really, really old vampire. It's more angsty than my last Klaroline story though.**

Caroline Forbes had lived a very long life. Centuries. Centuries she spent beside the most feared vampire in the world. Klaus Mikaelson.

But that was a long time ago. A life that was so far removed. She hadn't seen Klaus since he fled New Orleans with his siblings, not once looking back.

It had hurt that he had just left her behind, even if he thought her good as dead. She had spent hundreds of years loving him but that night she learned love was fleeting when faced with death.

But not all love was fleeting, not love built between mother and son. One good thing had come from being with Klaus. When he took in a small boy who had been nothing but rift raft he had given her something she didn't think she would ever have. A son.

And she did love Marcel as if he were her own flesh and blood. She had stood by his side ever since, had been there when he woken and he found most of his family gone all accept for the only mother he had growing up.

She stood by him even as he took the Mikaelson's plans for the city and built it in his image. She stood at his side as he built his Kingdom and his ranks.

Their family may have abandoned them but they would never abandon each other.

She was once known as Caroline Mikaelson but that was a long time ago. Not many remember there ever being a Caroline Mikaelson.

Instead she was known as Caroline Forbes and known as Marcel's oldest and most powerful ally.

Marcel had spent the last century building his kingdom, surrounding his self with his guys, he trusted them and their loyalty but there wasn't anyone he trusted more than Caroline.

She was the closest thing he had to a mother, who stood by him no matter what, who was there when he woke from being attack by Mikael who never once turned her back on him.

His guys knew to treat her with the respect she deserved and were loyal to her just as much as they were loyal to him.

Caroline was loved among the supernatural of New Orleans.

She was a constant in his life and more than his inner circle she was his family. And she proved it time and time again when she was always there for him. She was the one person he trusted to never leave him for dead, to never leave him behind.

The last thing Klaus expected to find in New Orleans was Marcel and Caroline. He had spent the last century believing them both to be dead at the hands of Mikael.

He spent years grieving them, he couldn't speak Marcel's name, couldn't bear to so much as hear Caroline's. The pain of their loss was so much it was easier to forget even if it was an impossible task.

There were moments where he would think of them and the pain became too much. To the point where he avoided New Orleans. Hadn't so much as stepped one foot back in New Orleans since.

There were times he felt Marcel's ghost haunting him, reminding him the loss of a child.

And he was unable to escape the void that losing Caroline had left inside him, he had tried to fill it over the centuries but nothing work. He still saw her in dreams, he still found himself sketching her, he still found himself whispering her name when he woke, sometimes her name left his lips like a prayer and other times like a curse.

It was a loss he never recovered from and one he didn't believe he ever would.

When Katerina said there were witches in New Orleans working against him the last thing he wanted to do was go to the city where he lost two vital pieces of himself but he wasn't about to let some arrogant witches think they could come after him, the most feared vampire in world, the original hybrid.

He would take care of the problem quickly and then leave New Orleans not wanting to be there longer than he had to when just being in the city made him want to tear everything and everyone apart leaving a bloody path in his wake of bodies and bloody entrails because why should the city and all its people continue to go on when Marcel couldn't.

When Caroline couldn't.

As far as he was concerned the city was dead and so should everyone else in it who weren't Marcel or Caroline, wanting everyone to suffer as much as he has suffered.

 **A/N: I know this is short but its only the introduction to the story. My chapter are usually longer. Thanks for reading and I hope you like it. Feel free to leave a review if you like.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Alright so I want to be clear on a few things. Klamille will not be a thing in my story. At all. Klaus and Hayley never slept together so there will be no baby plot. Hayley will be in the story but not as much as she was in the show.**

 **Secondly, I'm thinking about bringing Katherine into the story.**

The last person Caroline expected to walk through the doors was Klaus Mikaelson, she was sitting in the back of the club with a few of Marcel's female vampires when she felt a shift in the air, and her skin started humming. It was a sensation she hadn't felt in almost a century.

It was a sensation she only ever got when one man was near, her eyes scanned the bar and the sight of Niklaus Mikaelson had her doing a double take, her son's cover song of 'How Do You Like Me Now' fading into the background as she watched him, stroll closer to the stage, his steps predatory as he stared up at Marcel, his eyes hard and expression a mix of anger and impassiveness.

Her shoulders tensed, a rigidness setting in as she watched with bated breath. She saw the barely there double take that Marcel gave when he spotted Klaus but he finished up his song before jumping down from the stage. "Klaus."

Klaus glared at the man. "Marcel"

"Must be 100 years since that nasty business with your papa." Marcel mused.

"Has it been that long?" Klaus asked, acting as if that night had meant nothing. Was nothing but a footnote of his past.

"Way I recall it, he ran you out of town. Left a trail of dead vampires in his wake." Marcel continued impassively.

"And yet how fortunate you managed to survive." A spark of hope lit in his chest that if Marcel had somehow managed to survive maybe she did too. "My father, I'm afraid, I recently incinerated to dust."

"Well, if I'd known you were coming back in town, if I had a heads-up..."

"What, Marcel?" Klaus stepped directly in Marcel's personal space threateningly, voice like cool steel. "What would you have done?"

Marcel's guys instantly recognized the threat and moved to flank him.

"I'd have thrown you a damn parade." He grinned fully, throwing his arms around Klaus who matched his grin returning the familiar embrace.

Caroline had remained seated, watching the reunion with shrewd eyes but once she saw Klaus embracing her son, she stood up abruptly her chair scrapping roughly against the wood, weaving her way through the crowd and toward the door.

"Niklaus Mikaelson. My mentor, my savior, my sire. Let's get you a drink. It is good to see you." Marcel turned him toward the bar.

"It's good to be home." Klaus lied. It was good to see Marcel but New Orleans wasn't home. It never was. His home had always been Caroline. Her presence surrounding him had felt like home. "If you're here.." He trailed off, the question on the tip of his tongue. Caroline? Was she here? Did both Marcel and her survive Mikael's attack all those years ago? "Is sh-" he cut off abruptly catching a flash of blonde hair as the bar door swung closed.

His head whipped around to Marcel. "Caroline?"

And the look that crossed Marcel's face was all the answer he needed, he rushed out the door without a backward glance, chasing after the blonde.

Marcel gave a sigh, tapping his fist on the bar. "Get me a shot of bourbon." And downed the glass as soon as it was placed in front of him.

"What's going on, Marcel?" Diego, one of his more trusted guys questioned, looking toward the door in concern. "Does Caroline need back up?" He didn't even wait for Marcel to reply before taking a step away from the bar toward the door.

Marcel put out his arm blocking him. "Don't. This is between them."

Diego hesitated but reluctantly stepped back toward the bar though he kept shooting worried glances toward the exit.

"Caroline is more than capable of handling herself." Marcel had noticed his look of concern. "I know I don't need to remind you of that fact."

Diego knew that but it was an instinct grained in him to want to protect Caroline who was always so good to him and the rest of Marcel's inner circle. He took his seat back at the bar next to Marcel, grabbing his drink and shooting it back.

* * *

Klaus scanned the streets for the blonde, swearing that if he was still human his heart would be pounding against his ribcage right about now. He caught sight of the flash of blonde hair as she reached the corner street ahead and quickly flashed in front of her, his breath catching in his throat.

"Caroline?" His voice choked out, the emotion at seeing her when he long believed her to be dead, clogging his throat.

Caroline hadn't wanted to see him, face him. It was why she had left, just the thought of him had her stomach twisting into fiery knots. He had left her and Marcel for dead at the hands of Mikael without so much as looking back.

Caroline stared at him as he stared at her in wonder with a look of indifference, masking the anger churning inside her.

"Caroline, I thought you were dead." Klaus cleared his throat, forcing the well of emotions he was feeling down for the moment. "I can't believe you're alive."

"No thanks to you." She spat acerbically.

It was then hearing her voice for the first time in over a century that wasn't in his dreams or nightmares, that he could hear the anger, the resentment in every syllable she spoke.

It was then that he really looked past the unbelievably welcome sight of his wife features that he had committed to memory, the same features he had been sketching for the last century off memory alone and really looked at her, at her beautiful face that used to be so open and expressive with joy, excitement and light but was now completely indifferent and closed off, guarded and her blue eyes that were bright and full of adoration and exasperated fondness now looked at him with anything but. Her eyes were cold, hard like steel and full of anger and resentment.

"I thought you were dead." He repeated, his hand reaching out to cup her jaw but she jerked back from him before his fingers could so much as graze her skin.

"Don't touch me." She ground out in an angry hiss. "Don't you fucking dare touch me."

"Caroline." His name left her lips like a plea and prayer all in one. A plea for her to understand. A prayer for her forgiveness. "Please.." He was never one to say please to ask for anything, to show weakness but for her he would.

"No." Caroline shook her head, her eyes raging like a storm, her tone livid. "I don't want to hear anything you have to say. I want you gone. Leave New Orleans and don't ever come back."

Klaus clenched his jaw anger hitting him suddenly. "If you think I'm going anywhere without you now that I know you're here you clearly don't remember me as well as you should have."

"Oh, I remember you perfectly. I remember a man who abandoned his wife, his son." She stepped forward into his space, hostility coming off her in waves. "I remember a man leaving two people he claimed to love, his family to be slaughtered at the hands of his psychotic father. I remember a coward who ran the second Mikael caught up to him."

"It wasn't like that and you know it! You know what he was like!"

"So did you and you still left me and Marcel to suffer at his hands like a coward, you abandoned your son. You abandoned me."

His hand snatched out, yanking her to him. "If I'm such a coward why is Mikael now dead at my hands?!" Klaus demanded.

Surprised filled Caroline but she quickly covered it. "Let go of me!" She wrenched herself from his grasp, putting distance between them. "So you finally killed Mikael. Congratulations." She spat sarcastically. "You want a reward for something you should have done from the very beginning."

Klaus shook his head unable to understand how his Caroline, his beautiful, kind, loving wife, who always looked for the best in people became this bitter, angry, full of resentment, spiteful version of her standing in front of him. "What happened to you?"

Caroline eyes flickered dangerously. "You. You happened to me. Just like you happened to everyone. You ruin everything you touch and if you stay here in New Orleans you'll ruin everyone and everything in it. I advise you to leave before that happens." She took several steps back from him.

For every step back she took he followed her. "I won't be leaving New Orleans without you. Not again."

"I have nothing to offer you." Caroline gave him a dismissive look. "New Orleans has nothing to offer you. Leave Klaus and never come back. Never step a foot back in New Orleans." She pushed past him then, her shoulder slamming into his as she continued down the sidewalk.

Klaus turned, keeping her in his sight. "As long as you're here, Caroline, I won't be leaving." He swore and it sounded like he was making a vow to himself and to her. "I won't leave you again."

Caroline stopped but didn't turn back around, jaw clenching. "There's nothing left for you here. Not anymore." And with that she disappeared uncaring of passerby's who might have seen her take off.

Klaus clenched his jaw, heart clenching in his chest before he whirled back around on his heels, striding back to the bar.

* * *

Marcel had barely felt the air shift before he found himself being turned around forcefully and was confronted with an angry Klaus. "What the hell happened to her?!"

"I'm not sure I know what you mean?" He shrugged Klaus's hand off of him.

"She's not the same."

"You couldn't have honestly thought she would be." Marcel lips twisted wryly. "It's been a century since you left without her and it change her."

Klaus took a step back his jaw tightening. "Clearly."

"Just give her sometime. She'll get over it. " Marcel said dismissively though he didn't really believed she would get over it. Nothing had ever hurt her more than when Klaus had abandoned her. But he didn't want Klaus hounding Caroline and thought it best to distract him instead. "You know how she gets when she's pissed. C'mon, I'll show you around my streets."

* * *

Marcel led the way outside and Klaus let him, anything to take his mind off his encounter with Caroline. Of all the ways he had imagine her being alive and reuniting with her it had not gone the way it had.

"Although please tell me the current state of bourbon street is not your doing." Klaus had took notice of all the damn tourist attractions.

"Ha ha ha ha! Something's gotta draw in the out-of-towners; otherwise, we'd all go hungry." Marcel chuckled in amusement.

"I see your friends are day walkers." Klaus commented, eyeing a few of Marcel's vampires.

"Yeah, yeah, I shared the secret of your daylight ring with a few buddies. Just the inner circle, though. The family."

"Tell me. How did you find a witch willing to make daylight rings?" Klaus had to question. It was no secret witches hated vampires.

"I got the witches here wrapped around my finger."

"Is that so? I'm looking for a witch by the name of Jane-Anne Deveraux. Has some business with me."

"Looking for Jane-Anne?" A smirk filtered across Marcel's face. "Then you probably ought to come with me. Ha ha! Showtime!"

Marcel had led him to where a crowd was gathering. "How's the family?" Marcel wondered.

"Those who live hate me more than ever." Though now it seem Caroline now had that in common with them.

"Forget them." Marcel dismissed. "If your blood relations let you down, you make your own, huh?." The family that mattered to Marcel weren't even his blood family. "You taught me that. And what's mine is yours, as always. Even my nightwalkers, the riff-raff."

Klaus watched as Marcel's aforementioned nightwalkers, drop from buildings onto the streets below, some leaping from building to building. "They're hardly subtle, are they?"

"It's the Quarter." Marcel turned showcasing a large smile. "Ain't no such thing as subtle, baby."

A woman, caught in the grasp of several nightwalkers was brought forth before the crowd of rowdy vampires surrounding her as she was kept in restraints.

"Jane-Anne Deveraux. Give it up for Jane-Anne. Come on." Marcel focused on the witch. "Jane-Anne Deveraux, you have been accused of the practice of witchcraft beyond the bounds of the rules set forth and enforced by me. How do you plead?" He turned back to Klaus with a showman smile. "Oh. Was that convincing? I studied law back in the fifties. It's all I know. Caroline found it all very amusing." He turned back to the witch. "Seriously, J, tick tock. You know the drill. How do you plead?"

"I want to speak with Caroline!" She demanded, scanning the crowds of vampires.

"You think Caroline's going to help you?" Marcel shook his head. "I'm afraid you're going to be sorely disappointed." His eyes sliding a few feet away watching as Caroline emerged from the crowd as they parted, making a wide berth for her.

"Caroline, please." Jane-Anne pleaded when Caroline came to stand beside Marcel. "I didn't do anything."

"Forgive me if I don't believe you Jane." Caroline said, knowing for a fact that she was lying and even if she didn't know she would be hard pressed to believe Jane.

"Caroline, I was only doing what I had to." Jane defended. "We were friends, ally's once you have to know that everything I have done was for a reason." She looked at Caroline for understanding but found none as Caroline looked at her in derision.

Caroline laughed sardonically. "Everything you've done has been for power. And the thing is Deveraux I could never align myself with anyone who has done what you have." The very thought that a mother could sacrifice her own child for power was disgusting and yet Jane had done it. In Caroline's eyes she was worse than any vampire in the Quarter.

Klaus had barely paid attention to what was happening from the moment Caroline had appeared, absorbed in watching her every move, listening to every word she spoke while drowning everything and everyone else out. He stared at her intensely urging her to just look at him but she was ignoring him completely as if he wasn't standing just a few feet away.

"But I didn't do anything!" Jane-Anne protested looking at Caroline in betrayal.

"That's a lie. You know it, I know it, and you hate that I know it." Marcel declared. "It drives you witches crazy that I'm aware of your every move. That you can't do magic in this town without getting caught. So, why don't we just cut to the chase, huh? You tell me what magic you're brewing. Tell me. I'll grant you leniency. Hey, I am, after all, a merciful man." Caroline had raised him to be a good man after all. He could still remember her mantra to him since he was a boy.

 _Be better than we are._

She had always told him to be better than their family. She still said it from time to time whenever she felt she needed to remind him of the good in him.

"Rot in hell, monster." Jane-Anne spat at him with hate, her eyes slid to Caroline. "And you can join him your just as much of a monster as he is."

Marcel hand snatched out swiping a blade across her throat, slicing it wide open, blood gushing as she choked and hit the streets dead, still bleeding out.

As the witch had begun to speak to Caroline with insults Klaus had focused back into what was happening and had watched as Marcel killed the witch without warning. "What was that?" He demanded.

Marcel's eyes slid to Caroline as he answered. "No one speaks to Caroline like that in my presence." He could never allow anyone to talk down to his mother. Sometimes it was hard to find the good in the world with what he was, what they were but Caroline was definitely one of the good things left this world still had to offer.

Klaus despite being able to relate to not allowing anyone to speak down to his wife still felt anger for Marcel's action. How the bloody hell was he supposed to find out what the witches were plotting against him now?

"Besides witches aren't allowed to do magic here. She broke the rules." Marcel said dismissively. "C'mon, walk with me." He turned Klaus down the road.

"I told you I wanted to talk to her." Klaus insisted not moving.

"What business do you have with a New Orleans witch? Is that why you're back?" Caroline asked leveling him with a suspicious look.

"If I had known you were here I would have come back a long time ago."

Caroline gave a scoff turning on her heel and disappearing into the crowd.

"Caroline, wait." He moved to follow after her but was stopped by an arm gripping his shoulder.

"Give her some time." Marcel told him, Klaus glared shrugging off his arm. "Walk with me." He insisted. "Hey, I'm sorry. I got caught up in the show and I let my anger get the better of me when she insulted Caroline. Those witches, they think that they still have power in this town. I have to show them that they don't. I never waste an opportunity for a show of force. Another lesson that I learned from you. And besides, anything that you could've gotten out of her, I can find out for you, and I will. I promise."

Klaus said nothing but didn't move away from him this time.

"Good. Then let's eat, because all that spilled blood makes me hungry." Marcel declared.

Klaus lagged behind as Marcel was leaving, catching one of Marcel's guys. "Hey. Thierry, isn't it? Any more Deveraux witches where she came from?"

* * *

Caroline moved through the crowd with ease, finding Marcel back at the compound that they called home, holding court with his men.

"I'd like a word with Marcel." She looked to his followers.

Marcel nodded and they excused themselves giving them the room. "Is everything alright?"

"Is everything alright?" Caroline repeated, crossing her arms. "You tell me. You're the one welcoming Klaus back with open arms."

"I thought that that might be what this is about." Marcel gave a nod. "It's better to play along and keep peace with him then it is to make unnecessary enemies. If Klaus is back after a 100 years its for a reason and we need to find out why."

"I doubt he's going to come out and tell you." Caroline muttered. "That would be too easy. So what? You're going to buddy up to him in hopes of finding out what he wants? What he's doing here?"

"What's the saying you used to say? 'You'll catch more bees with honey than with vinegar."

Caroline sighed irritably. "I won't pretend like everything is okay. I don't give a fuck why he's here. I just want him gone. He left us for dead. He can't be trusted."

"I'm not saying we trust him. I say we keep him close." Marcel argued.

"I don't want to be around him." Caroline spat waving her arms angrily. "I wish he'd fall off the face of the earth, the bastard!" Just thinking of him brought fresh waves of anger to the surface and made her want to lash out, tear something, anything apart with her bare hands. Maybe she could have him hexed with that stupid hunter cursed he had long ago. The very thought had a feeling of twisted pleasure wash over her for just a moment.

Marcel clapped a hand onto her shoulder in an attempt to calm her. "And I'm not asking you to. You don't even have to speak with him if you don't want to. I'll deal with him. You shouldn't have to." Marcel knew how hurt, how devastated Caroline had been when they were first left behind. She had been a shell of the person, the mother he knew.

But slowly in time she had come back to herself a bit jaded and little more concerned and more guarded with her heart than he ever knew her to be, now only allowing a select few close to her. He could count on one hand the amount of people she had allowed herself to let her guards down with.

Caroline heaved a large sigh. Sometimes she hated when Marcel was so damn reasonable. Sometimes she wanted him to just rage and let free everything he was feeling regardless of everything else. "I want him followed."

"Done." Marcel assured her. "C'mon," he tugged her into his side. "Let's get something to eat and forget all about Niklaus Mikaelson."

"If only that were possible." Caroline replied darkly.

If that were at all possible she would have done it the moment she realized he had left her behind, discarded her for the sake of saving his own skin, like all the years they had spent together meant absolutely nothing to him.

Well if that was case then he got exactly what he wanted. Because anything that had ever been between them meant nothing to her. Nothing at all.

 **A/N: Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed it.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: This will be following parts of the show so you will see scenes from episodes if that bothers you or you find it redundant I apologize in advance.**

"Well, well, well, what have we here?" Marcel announced his presence catching sight of the witch that came for her sister's body. "I gotta tell you Soph, this street corner is not proving the luckiest spot for your family tonight. Not half an hour ago, we had to teach your sister a little lesson."

"We're putting her to rest Marcel. Leave us alone."

"I never said you could move the body. Matter of fact, I left her here for a reason: send a message." Marcel responded. "If anybody is thinking of joining some kind of rebellion, my rules state that witches can't practice magic in the Quarter and yet a little birdy informed me that Jane-Anne was cooking up something magically delicious. Oh, yeah. While I have you, quick Q&A. My old friend – the hybrid, Klaus – he just happened to show up out of the blue asking for, of all people, Jane-Anne. Any idea why?" It would be nice if he had some information as to why Klaus was here that he could take back to Caroline.

"I don't know. Witches don't get involved in vampire business." Sophie stated.

"Hmm. That would be pretty stupid, that's for sure. Tell you what, go back to the restaurant, cook up some of that famous gumbo, and keep those tourists happy." He told her, he looked to his vampires. "Take the body."

"What? No!" Sophie protested. "Stop! Stop! Marcel!"

"I'm gonna hold on to your sister's body in case maybe you remember why Klaus is here."

"Marcel please." Sophie said an edge of desperation creeping into her voice. "Her body won't be at peace."

"Not my problem." Marcel dismissed, walking away with his vampires and Jane-Anne's body.

* * *

Klaus moved through the busy pub weaving his way in and out through the other patrons, finding his way to the kitchen where he saw the woman he was searching for.

The sooner he found what these witches wanted with him the sooner he could put all his focus on Caroline.

He watched as she stiffened sensing his presence before turning around and watching him with wary, cautious eyes, eyes that were red and puffy. "You're Klaus."

"I am. And you're upset. Sophie, isn't it?" He questioned which was expected seeing as her sister's throat was just sliced wide open like New Orleans main attraction. "I assume this is because of what I just witnessed with your sister on the corner of Royal and St. Ann."

"Did you enjoy the show?" Sophie retorted bitterly, angrily.

"It was a little melodramatic for my tastes. What did your sister want with me? Why did Marcel kill her?" He got to the point not much caring for her grief or loss.

"I see you brought friends." She said, not answering his question.

Klaus glanced behind him and saw two vampires had followed him inside. "They're not with me."

"They're with Marcel. That's all that matters." Sophie told him like that should have been obvious to him. "I know you built this town, but this is his town now. His and Caroline's. He killed my sister because she broke the rules. So, I talk to you in front of them, I'm next." She turned away, completely dismissing him and he glared, his features hardening, turning and walking right to the bar where the two men were seated.

"Are you two gentlemen following me?" He stood behind them, his hand coming down on each of their shoulders, clapping down hard.

"Marcel said we're your guides." The man grunted through the strong clasp of Klaus's grip on his shoulder.

"Oh, he did, did he? Well, then, let me be exceedingly clear about something." He tightened his grip on their shoulders and could practically hear their flinch of pain as they sucked in harsh breaths. "If either of you follow me again, you'll do so without the benefit of a spine."

"Sorry for the wait." A blonde waitress appeared behind the bar with a welcoming smile just as Klaus released his hold on the two men. "If you're here for the gumbo, I'm about to break your heart. We just ran out."

"Your oldest scotch for my two friends here, love." He slapped down a hundred dollar bill onto the bar before focusing back on the two men. "Marcel wants to know what I'm up to, he can ask me himself."

* * *

Klaus maneuvered his way through the crowds of vampires dancing in the ever familiar compound, his eyes scanning in search of his son.

"Where's Marcel?" He demanded of a vampire, Diego, who stepped in his path.

"Who the hell's asking?" The man responded, looking Klaus over with not the least bit of recognition.

"I assume you're joking." Klaus growled out, everyone knew who the hell he was.

"I only answer to Marcel." Diego replied. Okay that wasn't completely true he also answered to Caroline but everyone knew the two were a package deal with Marcel came Caroline and vice versa.

"Well, then, in that case, perhaps you'll answer to this." Klaus features hardened, his eyes like stone. "You're aware the bite of a werewolf can kill a vampire?" He flashed his hybrid eyes, his fangs dropping, his hand wrapping around his throat. "Well, as you can see, I'm half-werewolf, so I'm gonna ask you one more time!" He raised his voice shouting, demanding. "Where is Marcel?!"

Caroline had been dancing amongst the crowd, her body moving effortlessly to the beat, trying to forget all about a certain Mikaelson's return to New Orleans but then she could hear his voice shouting, looking for Marcel.

She let out a string of curses weaving her way through the crowd and saw him gripping Diego's throat, his face was change but it looked different than before and she realized with quick clarity that he had broken the curse that kept his werewolf side sealed away. The one he had been so intent on breaking.

She flashed in front of Diego, shoving Klaus harshly back making him lose his grasp on Diego's throat. "Keep your hands off him."

Klaus faltered at Caroline's sudden appearance, not expecting to see her again but he was starting to realize where Marcel was so was she. He pushed down the immediate urge to reach out to her and tried to focus back on his task. "Where's Marcel?"

"I don't know." Caroline ground out. That was a lie but she could care less, she didn't want him near her son.

Klaus face had returned to normal but his features still darkened. "Don't lie to me." He stepped forward towering over her. "Don't play these games with me right now, Caroline. I want to know where Marcel is."

Caroline crossed her over her chest, eyeing him with a look of condescension. "Always so demanding, Klaus. Things never change with you, do they?"

"No they don't." He shot back at her. "And you know what happens when I don't get what I want."

"Do I look like I care what you want anymore?" Caroline shot back uncrossing her arms and glaring at him heatedly. "You can't intimidate me into caring either." Klaus's expression darkened further as he grew frustrated.

Diego reached out, grasping Caroline's shoulder in concern. "Caroline, maybe you shouldn't-"

"I'm fine." She shook his hand off, dismissing his concern. "I can handle him."

"Why don't you stay out of this." Klaus snapped at him. "Go make yourself useful and get Marcel."

Diego made to step around Caroline to get in Klaus' face but Caroline put a hand out stopping him just as Marcel appeared. "H-hey. I'm right here. I'm right here. Easy, now. Diego's just looking out for me. Nobody harms my guys. Those are the rules." He looked between Caroline and Klaus. "How about the two of you try to be civil?"

Caroline scoffed, shooting them both a glare. Oh she would be civil with Klaus when hell froze over but not a moment before.

"I don't care about your rules, Marcel." Klaus snapped. "I don't need chaperones. Why are you having me followed?"

"Because I told him to."

Klaus eyes snapped to Caroline. "You what?"

"I don't trust you and as long as your in this city consider yourself under a microscope." Caroline eyes were cold.

"Really? This is what it's come to? 700 years together and you can't trust me?" Klaus demanded.

"600 years. Don't count the years you ran away from here." She snapped.

"Alright. Alright." Marcel stepped between them. "I think you both made your point. Let this fight go." He looked at Caroline. "For me."

Caroline stared back at her son, seeing in his eyes his silent question, asking her to let him handle this, to trust that he knew what he was doing.

"Okay." She relented, sending Klaus one more glare before turning to Diego. "Come along, Diego, let's get a drink." She tugged Diego along through the crowd.

"What the hell was that about?" Diego walked with her without complaint. "How do you know him?"

"We have history." Caroline muttered.

"Clearly." Diego said dryly. "But what kind of history?"

Caroline glanced at him briefly. "He's my husband."

Diego's eyes widened. "You're what?"

"It's a long story I rather forget." Caroline muttered.

* * *

Klaus watched as Caroline disappeared in the crowd with Marcel's guy and anger rose in his chest, needing to distract himself from Caroline, he focused on Marcel. "Why don't you show me what you've done with the place while you explain exactly what it is you've been up to in my town?"

"Follow me." Marcel led Klaus to a balcony that had a great view of the city. "Look at that skyline. That there, that's progress. More hotels, more tourists, more fresh blood. And the humans? I taught them to look the other way."

"And what of the witches? In my time, they were a force to be reckoned with, and now they live in fear. How do you know when they're using magic?"

Marcel paused there was a time when the witches were allies. Mainly because they had been loyal to Caroline, there was a history there before the witches ruined that alliance with their cold child blood sacrifices.

The witches had become their enemy but he was more than glad to know he held all the cards to keep them under control. "Maybe I got a secret weapon, an ace up my sleeve, something that gives me complete control over all the magic in this town." He said finally.

"Hmm. Is that a fact?" Klaus eyes narrowed, if that were the case he needed to get his hands on said secret weapon.

"Might be. Or maybe I'm just bluffing." Marcel smirked, placing a vervain petal in his mouth and chewing.

"You take vervain?" Klaus noted in surprise. And immediately wondered if Caroline took it.

"'Burns like a bitch. But I figure I should limit the number of things I'm vulnerable to." He watch the way Klaus clenched his jaw. "Don't be mad about that chaperone thing."

"You mean the one because Caroline doesn't trust me." He said lowly.

"No, she doesn't." Marcel didn't sugar coat it. "She believes you have an agenda." He eyed Klaus. "I'd like to think you're just here to have a good time. Catch up. But tell me something, is she right? Do you have an agenda for being here?"

Klaus was silent, he turned his gaze away from Marcel and back into the party his eyes zeroing in on Caroline, she stood with another vampire, making hand gestures with her hands as she talked. "Why I came here no longer matters."

Marcel followed his gaze and saw his mother speaking with Silvi, a gorgeous brunette that Caroline had turned in the 30's.

"The only thing that matters is why I'm staying." Klaus eyes never left her.

Marcel eyes narrowed, a feeling of protectiveness washing over him for his mother. Growing up he had little in the way of family and even now he kept the ones he considered just that close to him. He could let them go if he had to but if there was one person he intended to keep in his life always it was his mother.

He would not let anyone come into his town and take her away from him. Not even Klaus.

And while he felt protective of Caroline he knew he had no reason to worry. Caroline would never leave him behind. That was something he knew with absolute certainty.

"I told my guys to follow you under Caroline's suspicions of you and it gave her peace of mind, plus I told them to look out for you. That's what we do here... Look out for each other." Marcel looked back out toward the city, taking a note of a blonde walking the streets alone. "Mmmmm. New blood"

Klaus easily recognized the blonde from the bar. "The bartender, walking alone at night. She's either brave or dumb."

"Let's see. Brave, I let her live, dumb, she's dessert." He leapt down over the balcony landing just behind the blonde. "You know, it's not safe here alone."

The blonde turned with an air of confidence. "You know, I have a black belt in karate."

Klaus watched his son talk easily with the blonde when he felt a shift in the air and a pair of familiar always judging eyes on him. "Evening, Elijah."

"Niklaus."

"What an entirely unwelcome surprise."

"And what an entirely unsurprising welcome." Elijah returned, pushing off the wall he stood against. "Come with me"

"I'm not going anywhere. Not until I find out who's conspiring against me." He turned his eyes looking past Elijah but no longer saw Caroline inside.

"I believe I just found that out for you." Elijah informed him.

Klaus paused, stopping his scanning of the crowd inside for Caroline and zeroing his gaze on Elijah.

He didn't really want Elijah's help but the sooner he had this witch business dealt with the sooner he could focus all his attention on his wife.

* * *

"What are we doing here?" Klaus questioned as he and his brother walked through an old cemetery.

"Want to know what the witches have in store for you?" Elijah asked him. "Follow me." He led the way inside the crypt and Sophie Deveraux was there waiting for him.

"Sophie Deveraux." Klaus shot a look at his brother. "What is this?"

"He's all yours." Elijah told the witch ignoring Klaus. "Proceed."

"You know you're famous in this town?" Sophie began, no longer showing fear like she had when he first come across the grieving witch. "Witches tell bedtime stories about the powerful vampire Klaus. We know Marcel was nothing but an orphaned street rat until you made him what he is. And now he's out of control. He does what he wants. He kills who he wants. I'm gonna stop him... And you're gonna help me.

Klaus looked at Elijah with a condemning look. "This is why you brought me here?"

"Hear her out?" Elijah insisted.

"I don't need to hear her out." Klaus dismissed. "I assure you, love, there is not a thing on this earth that will matter enough for me to waste even 30 more seconds of my time-"

"Caroline." Sophie said suddenly and Klaus stopped his tirade abruptly.

"What?" he gritted out, not knowing why the witch was speaking her name to him but either way he didn't like it.

"Marcel may be able to keep us from practicing real magic in this town, but we still talk, we still convene with our ancestors. The world may have forgotten as time passed but the witches haven't. Niklaus Mikaelson would do anything for his wife. The world has forgotten Caroline's connection to you but we have not and we're more than willing to use her to our advantage."

A dark looked passed over Klaus's face and Sophie found herself hoisted in the air Klaus's hand wrapped tightly around her throat, she gasped for breath and though her heart beat in fear, her pulse throbbing, her eyes were clear, defiant and determined. Klaus's hand tightened on her throat. "You think I will allow you to threaten her?! You're a very foolish witch." He sneered.

* * *

Caroline didn't know what happened one minute she was dancing with Silvi and the next it was like she had a steel vice around her throat and while she didn't technically need to breathe if felt like she did.

"Caroline?" Silvi questioned reaching out her hand in concern. "Are you alright?"

She clutched at her throat, her legs giving out on her as she collapse to the floor amongst the crowd.

"Caroline!" Silvi exclaimed dropping beside her, catching the attention of Diego nearby. He rushed forward at the sight of Caroline on the floor, choking for breath. "What's wrong with her?" He demanded as a crowd began to gather.

"I don't know, she just, she started choking all of sudden!" Silvi said, reaching her hands out to Caroline but pulling them back at the last second unsure of what she could do for her.

Diego watched as the veins beneath Caroline's eyes appeared, her eyes blackening, her fangs dropping, as she choked desperately for air, clutching at her throat.

"Spe-spell." Caroline choked.

Silvi eyes widened. "It has to be the witches."

Diego cursed under his breath violently before thundering, his voice echoing off the walls of the compound. "MARCEL!"

* * *

"I-I'm do-doing what I ha-have to." Sophie choked out, her face beat red, beginning to turn a shade of purple.

"Niklaus don't!" Elijah grabbed his arm, jerking him away from Sophie and the witched collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath rubbing at her neck. "If you kill her the wife you spent the last hundred years believing was dead will be."

Klaus's expression darkened further. "What the hell are you talking about?"

* * *

Marcel who was entertaining a crowd head snapped up when he heard the shout of his name and he immediately started moving at how Diego had sounded.

When he pushed through the crowd and caught sight of familiar blonde hair and Diego and Silvi kneeling down next to the blonde he rushed forward shoving people out of his way without a care, his concern taking hold of him.

"Caroline?" He dropped in front of her to his knees, his hands reaching out cupping her face, noticing the way she choked for breath hand grasping at her throat like she was trying to pry someone else's hand away and failing. "Mom?" he whispered lowly, voice filled with emotion.

"I ca-I can't breathe." Her hand reached out pulling one of his hands away from her face and grasping tightly to it. And fuck she was a vampire, she didn't breathe but the grasp on her throat was undoubtedly painful.

"We think there's a spell at work." Diego whispered quietly.

Marcel cursed violently, dropping his hand from Caroline's face and tugging his hand from her's, scooping her into his arms and standing, vamp speeding through the compound, a door slammed opened and closed behind him. He was setting her onto her bed when suddenly she gasped for breath, greedily taking in air.

He settled his hands on her shoulder kneeling in front of her. "Mom?"

"It stopped." Caroline told him, rubbing at her neck, taking in a huge breath. "It felt like steel wrapped around my throat, making my airways cave in, like the bones were seconds from cracking, shattering from beneath the strain."

"But you're okay now?"

Caroline smiled at his concern. "I'm fine." She paused. "This had to be magic, a spell or something." Her expression darkened with anger. "We have to find out who was behind this."

"We will." Marcel promised. "I will." He swore. He couldn't let someone, anyone get away with targeting his mother. An attack on her was an attack on him.

* * *

Sophie gasped for breath rubbing at her neck as she pushed to her feet, breathing heavily. "My sister gave her life to perform the spell. A spell that linked Caroline's life to mine."

"Let's say I believe you and you did something that stupid. Caroline's a vampire, one over 600 years old. You're nothing but a weak pathetic witch." Klaus scoffed. "If I snapped your neck right now, she'll just wake up hours later with a massive pain in her neck and you'll still be dead."

Sophie glared squaring her shoulders. "You think we weren't prepared for that?" Klaus met her stare head on challengingly. "You're wrong. We didn't just link her to me. We linked her very vampire life force to mine. If I die so will she." She sent him a smirk. "Vampire or not she'll be just as dead as me."

Klaus eyes blackened and he went to rush forward but Elijah grabbed his arm to stop him. "Get off me!" He lashed out shoving Elijah off him and making him stumble back as he advanced on Sophie not stopping till he was invading her space. "If Caroline dies because of you I will kill every fuckin' bloody witch in New Orleans. I will make it my mission to bring your kind to the brink of extinction."

"Niklaus that is enough!" Elijah pushed his way between them forcing Klaus back.

"Are you done threatening me?" Sophie demanded.

"Oh they weren't threats witch, their warnings." Klaus eyes turned back to their usual blue.

"Enough of this, if you want Marcel dead, he's dead. I'll do it myself." Elijah said, at this rate they weren't going to come to some kind of understanding. An alliance.

"No. We can't. Not yet." Said Sophie. "We have a clear plan that we need to follow and there are rules."

"How dare you command me? Threaten me with my wife's safety? I don't have to stand here and hear anymore of this bullshit." Klaus ranted angrily. "If you can't deal with Marcel you sure as hell can't deal with Caroline on your own."

"Why do you think we're using magic. If I have to sacrifice my life to end hers than so be it." Sophie tilted her chin up defiantly.

"You said it was Marcel who you wanted." Elijah protested.

"We want to make him suffer the way he has made the witch community suffered. What better way then to rip his closest ally from him."

Klaus scoffed. "Is that what you think she is to Marcel? You know nothing."

"They know enough." A voice said as they entered the crypt.

When Klaus caught sight of the brunette he rolled his eyes. "What are you doing here?"

"She's an ally." Said Sophie. "A werewolf in a town of vampires will come in handy on a full moon in return we help her find her family."

"I should have let Katherine kill you." Klaus muttered.

"I just want my family." Hayley defended. "And I'm willing to do whatever it takes to get what I want."

Elijah looked between Hayley and Klaus, he didn't know their history and didn't need to. "Klaus, you need to listen. If we can turn Caroline against Marcel our family will be whole." As whole as it could be with both Finn and Kol being dead.

Klaus gave a bitter laugh. "She spent a century at his side. She won't turn against him." Beyond that he knew she loved Marcel unconditionally the way a mother was meant to love their child. She would protect Marcel to her last moments. "Any enemy of Marcel's is a enemy of hers."

He didn't wait for a response, storming outside.

"Whose Caroline?" Asked Hayley her brow scrunching in confusion.

"I thought you said she was an ally?" Elijah questioned. "Shouldn't she know the facts about the key players in this game your playing."

"We tell her what she needs to know." Sophie responded, she looked to Hayley. "Caroline is Klaus's wife."

"His what?!" Hayley spluttered. "Who in their right mind would ever marry Klaus?!"

"Just how do you know my brother?" Elijah inquired.

"We met in Mystic Falls he was protecting me from Katherine in return I gave him information on her."

Typical. Klaus was still intent on killing Katerina. Elijah responded with a shake of his head before following after his brother.

* * *

"Niklaus." Elijah chased after him.

"No." Klaus said instantly. "I won't be commanded by anyone." If the witch knew what was good for her she would heed his warning and leave Caroline be.

"This isn't about controlling you. It's your chance."

"To what?" He snapped turning back to face him.

"To start over. Take back everything we lost. Everything that was taken from us. Niklaus, our own parents came to despise us. Our family was ruined, we were ruined, and since then, all that you have ever wanted, all that we have ever wanted is family. Caroline is family if we don't step in she'll be caught in this war the witches are raging against Marcel."

Klaus found it telling how Elijah seem to forget Marcel was family too. "I will not be manipulated."

"So, they're manipulating you. So what? We can unite our family."

"I'm gonna kill every last one of them."

"And then what?" Elijah demanded. "Then you resume your life as the hated one, as the evil hybrid? Is it so important to you that people quake with fear at the sound of your name?"

"People quake with fear because I have the power to make them afraid. What will uniting our family get me? Will it guarantee me power?" He didn't care about uniting the family he only cared about getting his wife back to his side, everything else didn't matter.

"Family is power, Niklaus. Love, loyalty. It's power. You'll have Caroline back." Elijah insisted passionately. "This is what we swore to one another a thousand years ago, before life tore away what little humanity you had left, before ego, before anger, before paranoia created this person before me... Someone I can barely even recognize as my own brother. This is us. The Original family. We remain together, always and forever. I am asking you to help me unite our family. I will help you and I will stand by you." He placed his hand on Klaus's shoulder. "I will be your brother. We will build a home here together. Help the witches against Marcel and Caroline will come back to us. To you."

No, she wouldn't, Klaus knew this with absolute certainty. If he came after Marcel she would do everything in her power to protect him. He brought his own hand to the back of Elijah's neck, a rare brotherly gesture from him, before speaking lowly, quietly. "No."

And Elijah watched his brother's back as he walked away.

* * *

Klaus walked back into Marcel's party. He noticed Marcel but didn't see Caroline.

"Hey, man. Where'd you run off to?" Marcel questioned.

"You mean your minions aren't still documenting my every move?" Klaus shot back.

"I've had more important matters to deal with than you but clearly someone put you in a mood. What can I do?"

"Where's Caroline?" He demanded.

"She called it a night."

"Fine then. What you can do is you can tell me what this thing is you have with the witches?"

Marcel resisted the urge to sigh. "We're back to that?"

"Yeah, we're back to that." Klaus glared. Whatever it was it had put Caroline in the witches crosshairs and he wasn't going to let her become a casualty because of it.

"You know I owe you everything I got, but I'm afraid I have to draw the line on this one. This is my business." Marcel would deal with the witches on his own, especially with whatever the hell stunt it was they pulled. "I control the witches in my town. Let's just leave it at that."

"Your town?" Klaus repeated.

"Damn straight." Said Marcel, recognizing Klaus's tone but not backing down.

"That's funny. Because when I left 100 years ago, you were just a pathetic little scrapper still trembling from the lashes of the whips of those who would keep you down, and now look at you." Klaus sneered. "Master of your domain. Prince of the city. I'd like to know how. I'm sure having a vampire as old as Caroline standing behind you benefited you greatly."

Marcel didn't like the insinuation that he used Caroline. "Why? Jealous? Hey man, I get it. 300 years ago, you helped build a backwater penal colony into something. You started it, but then you left. Actually, you ran from it. Caroline and I saw it through and she hasn't been standing behind me, she's been standing at my side." There was a difference. "Look around. Vampires rule this city now. We don't have to live in the shadows like rats. The locals know their place. They look the other way. I got rid of the werewolves. I even found a way to shut down the witches. The blood never stops flowing and the party never ends. You want to pass on through? You want to stay a while? Great. What's mine is yours, but it is mine. Caroline is my mother and I'm not about to let you come back here and take her from me. This is my home, my family, my rules."

Klaus smirked. It sounded to him like Marcel feared losing Caroline to him but he hated that Marcel actually believed he was going to follow any rules. "And if someone breaks those rules?"

"They die. Mercy is for the weak." Marcel wasn't about to back down. "You taught me that, too. And I'm not the Prince of the quarter, friend. I'm the King! Show me some _respect_." He snapped.

Klaus eyes blackened, amber eyes glowing, losing hold of his temper, snatching Marcel's friend, Thierry, ripping into his throat before letting him drop to the floor.

"Your friend will be dead by the week end." Thierry's blood coated his mouth as he challenged Marcel. "Which means I've broken one of your rules. And yet I cannot be killed. I am immortal. Who has the power now, _friend_?"

The two faced off an Marcel said nothing matching Klaus's challenging look, facing off with him, staring a hole into Klaus who shot a smirk at the crowd before he turned to leave. "Give your mother my regards, I'll be around."

Marcel glared after Klaus's retreating back, anger coursing through him.

* * *

"You find him, and then you call me." Marcel said into his phone. "Don't worry. I know how to deal with Klaus."

"Is that so? Please elaborate."

"Elijah Mikaelson." Marcel wasn't all that surprised to see the man. He was never too far from Klaus.

Marcel's entourage of vampire bodyguards who were seated around the restaurant, rose as one ready to protect Marcel.

"No. I got it. It's all good." Marcel told them not taking his eyes from Elijah.

Elijah took a seat across from Marcel. "It's time we had a little chat."

"Well if you're gonna talk, talk. I got things to do."

"Oh my, you have grown quite confident over the last century, haven't you?" Said Elijah in amusement.

"Me?" said Marcel. "I'd say it's you and your brother who got cocky, coming to my town like you own the place."

"Well, we did own the place once. We were all quite happy here as I recall. But we could never control those pesky witches of the French Quarter. How do you do it?"

"Your brother asked me the same question. I gave him the same answer: It's my business." Marcel responded, if he didn't tell Klaus he certainly wasn't going to tell Elijah. "Everything in the Quarter is my business. Klaus comes into town all nice and friendly, chasing after Caroline and when she doesn't fall into his arms, he starts looking down his nose at what I've done like it's some cheap knock-off of one of his dumb paintings, then he gets pissed off like a little bitch and bites one of my guys."

"Well, I do apologize for Klaus' poor behavior." Said Elijah but he didn't look all that apologetic if you asked Marcel. "I assume you know that the bite will kill your friend within a matter of days. Of course, Niklaus' blood would cure him."

"What?" Marcel asked in surprise.

"Yes, apparently the blood of the hybrid will cure a werewolf bite. Quite a handy little thing when one needs leverage in negotiations."

"What kind of negotiations are we talking about?" Marcel questioned, eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"Return the body of the witch Jane-Anne. Allow her people to put her to rest."

Marcel brow furrowed. "What do you care about the witches?"

"Well, that's my business, now, isn't it?" Elijah replied.

* * *

Caroline weaved her way through the streets of New Orleans, Silvi and several other vampires following in her wake.

"How are we going to go about this, Care?" Silvi questioned.

Caroline stopped to face her and the others as they stood in front of her, ready and willing to follow her lead.

"I don't much care how we do this." Caroline told them. "I just need to know who is behind this and how to undo it and quickly and if we have to crack a few twisted witches skulls open in the process so be it. The only other thing I ask of you is that no innocents get caught in the crossfire."

"We'll do our best." David, one of the vampires among them swore and one of the ones that were loyal to Caroline to a fault. "Whatever you need."

Caroline shot them each an appreciated look. "I just need this taken care of and quickly. The sooner the better." She paused. "Now, this is where I think we.." She went on to tell them where she thought the best place to start their search was and how to make sure no human's got caught up in any of this.

The vampires listening to her every word with rapt attention, ready to follow any order she gave.

* * *

Klaus took in the streets of New Orleans, even though night had fallen the streets were still bustling, a artist stood on a street corner painting, he noticed the blonde bartender from earlier watching the artist paint, he walked over stopping beside her.

She looked over at him. "The hundred dollar guy."

"The brave bartender." He looked at the nametag on the uniform she still wore. "Camille. That's a French name."

"It's a grandma's name." Cami rolled her eyes. "Call me Cami." She looked back to the artist. "Amazing, isn't he?"

"Do you paint?" Klaus inquired even as his eyes started scanning the crowds gathered on the street.

"No, but I admire. Every artist has a story, you know." She responded conversationally.

"And what do you suppose his story is?" Klaus questioned.

"He's... angry. Dark." Camille said after a moment. "Doesn't feel safe and doesn't know what to do about it. He wishes he could control his demons instead of having his demons control him. He's lost, alone." Her voice started to fade in the background as he caught sight of his wife across the street, he saw her immersed in a crowd.

He moved over hearing as she seemed to be ordering the group around.

"I don't care how you do it just find out what I need to know. And do it now." She ordered.

The vampires didn't seem to need further instruction as they dispersed into the crowd.

"Marcel said you retired for the night though I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. He doesn't seem to want me around you."

Caroline sighed inwardly turning to face him. "That's because I told him I want nothing to do with you. He's only following my wishes."

"You have to talk to me, Caroline." He insisted, feeling ire rise in his chest. "How are we supposed to get past this. How are we supposed to fix this."

"I don't want to get past anything. There's nothing to fix."

"Is that you talking or Marcel?"

Caroline glared. "Marcel has nothing to do with how I feel about you, what I think about you. I spent the last hundred years hating you for leaving and I liked to keep it that way. So do yourself a favor and leave." She turned not waiting for his response, disappearing into the crowd.

Klaus clenched his jaw so tightly, his jaw felt like it was about to crack as he watched her walk away from him.

* * *

Klaus held a bottle in his hand, drinking from it needing one after his run in with Caroline. He heard Elijah arrive, and spoke without turning to even look at him. "Have I not made clear my desire to be left alone?"

"Oh, you demand to be left alone at least once a decade. Your words have ceased to have an impact." Elijah responded, sounding almost off-handed, like he couldn't really care what Klaus wanted.

Klaus threw the bottle against the floor, where it burst, glass shattering. "Why do you even care?! Aren't you tired of fighting for a family that never fights for you."

Elijah sped forward, wrapping his hand around Klaus's throat. "I will never stop fighting for this family."

"Let. Me. Go." Klaus growled out angrily.

"I WILL NOT!" Elijah shouted angrily, throwing Klaus against the floor, then heaving him up again, not letting up off of him.

"Don't make me say it again." Klaus warned with deadly intent.

"I will not let go. I will never let go." Elijah swore.

In response Klaus grabbed Elijah and hurled him against an iron rod fence.

Elijah stood up lightning fast ripping away one of the iron rods. He advanced forward, the rod in his hand. "Even if I have to spend eternity saving you from your own stubborn, petulant, vile self..." he sped forward hitting Klaus with the iron rod, using it as a weapon. "If I have to beat you as father used to beat you, to remind you of your own humanity –" he struck Klaus again with the rod. "– to care about anything..."

He tried to hit Klaus again, but Klaus had had enough. Klaus ripped the iron rod from Elijah's grasp and gave him a taste of his own medicine striking him with it before grabbing him and hurling Elijah a few meters back, where he fell to the ground and stayed down for the time being.

Klaus breathed heavily, letting the iron rod fall to the ground and walked a few steps towards Elijah's sprawled form on the ground. "You're beyond pathetic, Elijah." He all but sneered in derision.

"Well who is more pathetic? The one who sees hope to make his family whole, or the coward who only sees the world through his own fear?"

"I haven't cared about anything since I believed Caroline was dead." Klaus responded. "Why on earth do you?"

"Because I failed you." Elijah admitted. "Because the first time our father laid a hand on you, I should have struck him dead. I made a promise to you: always, forever, family above all."

Klaus couldn't help the laugh that escaped, reaching his hand out to his brother.

Elijah accepted it, taking Klaus's hand and standing up back to his feet.

"You are a sentimental fool." Klaus told him.

"Perhaps." Elijah conceded. "But I've lasted this long in spite of it, haven't I?" Elijah turned leaving Klaus standing there, leaving him alone with his thoughts.

* * *

Klaus sat alone on the bench, staring out at the street before him when Elijah joined him, sitting down next to him.

"Are you here to give me another lecture of the importance of uniting our family?"

"I've said all I needed to say."

"I forgot how much I liked this town." He murmured. "I pushed it from my mind because it was a reminder of my last moments with Caroline. Because it was too much to think of her memory knowing I would never see her again."

Elijah looked at him in surprise that he had spoke so honestly of his grief of Caroline before averting his eyes, knowing if he made a bid deal out of it Klaus was likely to shut down on him. "I didn't forget. All the centuries we've spent together and yet I can count on one hand the number of times that our family has been truly happy. I hated leaving here."

"As did I." When he left here he lost everything.

"What is on your mind, brother?"

Caroline was his immediate thought but that wasn't what he said. "For a thousand years, I lived in fear. Any time I settled anywhere, our father would hunt me down and... chase me off. He made me feel powerless, and I hated it. He cost me Caroline. This town was my home once, and in my absence, Marcel has gotten everything that I ever wanted. Power, loyalty, family. Caroline at his side. I made him in my image and he has bettered me. I want what he has. I want to be King. And I want Caroline. I want my wife. I want back all that I lost a century go." And if he had to do it at the cost of Marcel then so be it. "Why are you so invested in bringing Caroline back to the family?"

"Caroline always had a piece of you that no one else could touch. She understood you better than anyone, she was able to reach you in a way I haven't been able to do in a thousand years. It's what I've always liked about her." Elijah admitted. Klaus had a habit of shutting him, their family out but Caroline. He always did everything in his power to keep her close. "She's always been the best parts of you."

Klaus turned locking eyes with his brother, knowing he couldn't argue that. "Tell Sophie Deveraux we have a deal." He said finally. He couldn't very well risk Caroline's life.

* * *

"So, how do you propose this will work?" Elijah inquired walking with Sophie in the cemetery.

"Your brother needs to cement his place in Marcel's world. His inner circle, the daywalkers... That's where we begin. They're his friends. His family. And of course, he needs to turn Caroline against Marcel. We'll be hitting him where it hurts."

* * *

Klaus pushed his way into the room of the compound, Thierry the vampire he bitten was laying on a bed in the room, vampires gathered around him including Marcel and Caroline.

Caroline glared, advancing on him. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to help." He told her.

She threw her head back with a scoff. "You're here to help? That's funny since you did this to him in the first place. A fact you failed to mention last night when we ran into each other."

"You're angry enough as it is I didn't want to give you something else to hold against me." Klaus sighed, doing his best to look remorseful which wasn't one of his strong suits. "I had time to sleep on it last night. I'm not your enemy. Where my family and I failed this town... Marcel succeeded. My blood will heal him. As though it never happened."

Marcel moved toward them, stopping beside Caroline. Klaus continued looking between them both. "The quarter is your home, but I would like to stay a while, if I'm still welcome."

* * *

"Is it done?" Elijah asked his brother when he returned to the home they decided they would be staying in, the old plantation just outside of the Quarter.

"As a matter of fact, yes. Your underhanded deal worked quite well." Klaus informed him. "Marcel was only too happy to accept my blood even as he accepted my heartfelt apologies." Though he couldn't say the same for his wife. She was less than pleased at the turn in events. "His man, Thierry, yet lives and I remain a welcome guest in the French Quarter. Caroline is still being challenging. My only concern now is this coven of impudent witches who think they can use her life like a pawn in their game against Marcel."

"I believe them to be honorable." Elijah said, they seemed dedicated to their cause especially Sophie. "Although, they haven't been entirely forthcoming. Marcel obviously has something that they need and their clearly holding a grudge against Caroline. They don't want neither of them dead. There must be a reason why."

* * *

A pretty brunette was sitting behind a window of a dark and dusty attic with just a simple bed and some canvases.

She turned on and off the flame of a candle with just the movement of her hand.

The door to the attic open as Marcel and Caroline walked in. "I assume it's all quiet out there?" Marcel inquired.

"The witches know better than to use magic. They know I can sense it when they do." Said the girl with certainty.

"I wouldn't be too sure about that." Caroline murmured. "They did something to me."

"But you're okay, right?" Davina moved toward her in concern.

"I will be. We have people looking into it but we'll get to the bottom of it," Caroline assured her, moving to sit on the edge of Davina's bed. "And when we do I'll need you to undo whatever the hell it is that they did."

"Of course." Davina said instantly without hesitation, she looked between Marcel and Caroline her brow furrowing in question. "What about the old ones? They're dangerous, and I don't want them to hurt you or Caroline."

"The Originals?" Marcel questioned. "Davina, as powerful as you are, they don't stand a chance."

* * *

Elijah and Klaus were talking in a study as they unpacked the room.

"In addition to the secret weapon he uses to control the witches, Marcel has assembled a small army of vampires. And there's the fact he has some one as old and smart as Caroline on his side." Said Elijah. "Working together, we can destroy them from the inside."

"And what of Rebekah?" Klaus questioned. "Has she stopped her pouting long enough to join the fun?"

"She has made her disinterest quite clear." Said Elijah which was an understatement if there ever was one. She wanted nothing to do with Niklaus.

"One too many times daggered and shoved in a box, I gather?" Klaus mused. "Or perhaps she doesn't share your unwavering belief that I can be saved."

"Rebekah may surprise us yet. After all, we all swore the same vow." Elijah said in reply. He had faith that given time Rebekah would come around. She always did.

"I hope she stays far away." Said Klaus moving around the desk in the room. "Because in my desire to reclaim this town, to steal from Marcel that which he holds most dear and take back my wife, I have realized one massive vulnerability that I can neutralize. One weakness that Marcel would exploit."

"And what is that?" Elijah turned toward Klaus and when he did he felt a dagger against his chest.

"You." Klaus slid the dagger home in Elijah's heart, his brother groaning with the pain. "I once told you love is a vampire's greatest weakness and I know from my own personal experiences. Caroline is that weakness for me and I cannot afford to have anymore. Caroline is the only exception I'm willing to make." He paused. "Forgive me, my brother. There is no power in love. Mercy makes you weak. Family makes you weak. If I am going to win this war, if I am going to get back everything I lost I have to do it alone."

 **A/N: I write as I go so feel free to send suggestions on things you might like to see. Currently, this is all I have written for this story so far. Feel free to leave a review. Thanks for reading.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I'm sorry for the long wait. I hope you enjoy the chapter.**

 **I apologize for any mistakes. I'm sure there are some but I wanted to get this posted.**

 **Flashbacks are in italics.**

 **I do not own anything but my own twist to the plot.**

* * *

Marcel led Klaus around the Abattoir it was filled with vampires and tourists. They stood on a balcony overlooking the party. Marcel's vampires fed ravenously on the humans, who screamed in terror but those same screams were drowned out by the pulsing music.

"This is how I keep my guys happy: the occasional, all-you-can-eat buffet. My night-walkers love it. I've got 'em working hard, trying to earn one of these daylight rings." he flashed the ring on his hand. "They deserve to blow off a little steam. My day-walkers, the trusted few – they just like the party."

Klaus's eyes scanned the floor below for Caroline but couldn't spot her. "I don't see your mother."

Marcel grimaced. "She's not one for frenzied feeding." Caroline hated these parties, the tourist being drained. It was something she argued about but knew was necessary to keep his men happy. But it didn't mean she had to be there for it. She usually headed out for the night on the town with Silvi. "These kinds of parties aren't her thing."

"You mean she's not one for the vampires feeding off innocents humans," Klaus said knowingly. "As I recall she loved parties." He paused noting the crest engraved on the wall. An 'M' with a coiled serpent wrapping around it. Klaus frowned but said nothing about it. "It's quite an operation. Tell me – what about the victims? Seems like a lot of graves to dig."

"Can't kill 'em all. Too many folks go missing, tourism drops. So, we heal them with a little vamp blood, erase their memory, send them on their way – no muss, no fuss." Marcel turned to him. "It's also a compromise with Caroline. It settles her conscious when so many people aren't being killed by the nightwalkers."

"I'm impressed," Klaus admitted. And that did sound like Caroline. She always did care deeply for others.

"Nothing I didn't learn from you back in the day." Replied Marcel with ease.

"Marcel." One of Marcel's inner circle, Thierry, the same one Klaus had bitten.

"'Sup, Thierry?" Marcel asked him.

"Six of our guys were killed in a bar outside of the Quarter. Night-walkers. No one saw who."

Klaus looked away as Marcel received the news of his nightwalkers deaths.

* * *

Rebekah drove down the road in her red convertible; checking her appearance in the rearview mirror, wiping a drop of blood from her cheek, smiling pleased with herself and kept on driving.

* * *

Rebekah parked in front of the Mikaelson mansion, talking into her phone as she got out of her car. "Elijah, if not answering your phone is part of your clever plan to get me back to this godforsaken city, then well done. I'm here, and I'm worried. Now pick up before I kick in your bloody door." She walked up the front steps, opening the door, entering the home.

"Elijah, are you here?" She walked further in when she received no answer. "Elijah?" She frowned if Elijah wasn't answering his phone and he wasn't here like he said he would be then Klaus had to have done something, and knowing him he probably had Elijah daggered in a box somewhere.

"Klaus!" she shouted, walking through the house. "Get out here and tell me what you've done with our brother, you narcissistic, backstabbing wanker!"

A pair of doors was thrown open and Klaus strode into the room. "Enough with all the shouting. Little sister, I should have known. I assume the six dead vampires were your doing?"

"They were very rude." She claimed. "Trying to victimize a poor, innocent girl just trying to find her way to the Quarter. So sorry, were they friends of yours? Oh, that's right, you don't have any friends."

"I do have friends. I have Marcel. You remember him, don't you?" Klaus smirked. "Yes, of course, you do."

"Elijah told me all about him not being dead." She returned his smirk with one of her own. "And Caroline."

"He fancies himself the 'King of the Quarter' now, and he has these rules about killing vampires." He pointedly ignored the mention of Caroline. "It'll be fun to see what sort of punishment he comes up with for you."

"I don't care about Marcel or his rules. Elijah isn't responding to any of my calls. What did you do to him?" She demanded accusingly.

"Perhaps he's on holiday... or taking a long autumn nap upstairs," Klaus smirked at her, taking a seat on a cushioned bench against the wall, lounging back. "Well, go on. Take a look around. You remember this house as well as I."

Rebekah went to leave the room in search of the brother she considered the good one but turned back to Klaus. "I remember everything."

* * *

 **NEW ORLEANS, 1820**

" _Rebekah, it's not a good idea." Caroline shook her head with a frown._

" _Why not?" Rebekah demanded. "You and Klaus are happy. I want to be happy too."_

" _You know what Klaus is like about of all his siblings. You're his little sister and he doesn't believe anyone is good enough for you." Caroline reminded._

" _So what? I'm supposed to spend an eternity alone?" Rebekah crossed her arms._

" _I am just warning you what can happen if you go to him about this." Caroline took Rebekah's hand in hers. "I love your brother but I know his flaws and I accept them. And I'm telling you he won't like this."_

" _He'll just have to come around," Rebekah stated stubbornly._

 _Caroline sighed to herself, knowing Rebekah wasn't going to listen, she gave Rebekah's hand a squeeze before releasing it. She hoped things went the way Rebekah wanted them to but she seriously doubted it would._

* * *

"I remember how the drunken fool of a governor hid away all of our vampire sins in exchange for gold. I remember the lavish parties the governor threw as if to impress you." Rebekah told Klaus, remembering back to their early days in New Orleans.

* * *

 **New Orleans, 1820**

 _Rebekah walked through the doorway into a room filled with people dressed in their finery for one of its many parties for the elites of the city. They nodded at Rebekah as she passed._

 _Rebekah watched Klaus as he whispered something into Caroline's ear, his arms sliding around her waist, tugging her back into him. Caroline pressed her head back against his shoulder with a quiet laugh, her left arm lifting to tangle in his curls before turning in his arms with a smile and pulling him into the room._

 _Rebekah turned her attention to the young man, the governor's son, Emil, at her side, kissing him chastely._

* * *

"I remember finding a moment of affection with the governor's son, Emil. And I remember that even Elijah was happy. I remember that for once you were happy. Of course, that was because you had Caroline." Rebekah stated.

* * *

 **NEW ORLEANS, 1820**

 _Upstairs, Elijah kissed a dark-skinned woman while further down the hall Klaus had Caroline pressed against a couch, his hand sneaking beneath her dress, gripping her thigh, his mouth sucking at her neck, she clutched at him, her own fangs buried in his shoulder where she had pulled on his tunic bearing flesh of his neck to her._

 _Blood sharing was something Klaus and Caroline took part in all the time, the feeling, the pleasure they took from drinking from one another and intimate affair they enjoyed to indulge in._

" _Your brother and sister-in-law can't keep their hands to themselves." said the woman to Elijah as Caroline let out a moan that could be heard from where they were. "It's quite indecent."_

 _Elijah let out a groan. "Niklaus, there is no hope for you, is there?" he looked at them. "If you're so intent on your current activities I suggest you find a room."_

 _Klaus lifted off his wife with a grin, slipping his hand out from beneath her dress as she slowly sat up, running a hand through her blonde curls, pushing them back. "I have no control when it comes to such beauty being in the palm of my hands." He tugged Caroline to his side, his fingers trailing up along her arm._

 _Caroline fisted his shirt in her hands. "I wouldn't have it any other way." she leaned forward to place a sucking kiss his neck, earning a groan from Klaus._

 _Elijah was seconds away from pulling them apart to make sure they didn't end up fucking right there where anyone could see such inappropriate scandalous behavior._

" _Are we interrupting?" Rebekah asked, joining them, Emil on her arm._

" _Yes." Klaus stated as Caroline pulled her mouth from his skin at the sound of Rebekah's voice, releasing the grip she had on his shirt._

" _No." Elijah said._

" _Not if we get a room, you won't be." Caroline's hand slid down his stomach past the waist of his trousers and placed her hand on his leg, high up his thigh._

 _Rebekah's nose scrunched up, but in all honesty, she was used to Klaus and Rebekah constantly having their hands all over each other. So instead she focused on Elijah. "Dearest Elijah. You've only ever wished happiness for me. Emil and I are in love. Please, let me turn him."_

 _Klaus let out a chuckle as he squeezed his wife's hand on his thigh. The number of times Rebekah claimed to be in love was a long list even he couldn't keep up with._

 _Elijah ignored his brother. "Rebekah, the governor has graciously agreed to hide a lot of our... indiscretions. It would not do to turn his son into one of us."_

" _Please. For me." Rebekah pleaded, hoping to sway him._

" _It's not going to happen, Sister," Klaus smirked up at her. "If we turned every man you dropped your knickers for, then human beings would cease to exist and we'd have no bloody food."_

 _Caroline's hand clamped down on his thigh and he grunted pulling her hand away from him. "Bloody hell, woman!"_

 _Caroline glared at him her mood drastically changed, not agreeing with the way he spoke to Rebekah. "Be nice to your sister."_

 _Klaus snorted in response and opened his mouth to respond but was cut off by Emil. "How dare you, sir! You would do well to treat –"_

 _Klaus was up in an instant, grabbing Emil by the neck and forcibly walking him down the hallway._

" _Klaus," Caroline said warningly._

" _Brother –" Elijah called out, hoping he would listen._

" _Niklaus!" Rebekah shouted distressed._

" _Niklaus, wait!" called out Elijah, knowing what Klaus was about to do._

" _NO!" Rebekah shouted._

" _Klaus Mikaelson, don't you dare!" Caroline warned, sounding like a threat._

 _Klaus ignored them all, forcing down the urge to listen to his wife and instead tossed Emil over the balcony._

 _Emil fell several stories, his body landing below with a sickening crack, killing the young man instantly._

 _Rebekah turned to Elijah sobbing into his chest as he held her in an effort to comfort her._

 _Caroline stalked forward, glancing over the balcony, seeing Emil's broken body below in a pool of his own blood. She whirled back around to glare at her husband, and shoved him hard in the chest, he stumbled back just an inch, glaring._

" _Why can't you let Rebekah be happy?" She demanded._

" _I would have never allowed her to turn him." he stated, reaching for her._

 _She evaded his touch. "You didn't have to kill him. I swear some days I just want to strangle you with my own hands." She pushed past him, moving toward Rebekah. "Bekah." she placed her hand on the girl's back. "C'mon, let's go."_

 _Rebekah turned to Caroline, eyes wet with tears, letting her sister-in-law lead her away._

" _Why do you enjoy angering the women in your life?" Elijah shook his head, he would never understand his brother._

" _Caroline's anger will pass," Klaus said dismissively, she would forgive him. She always did. One of the things he loved so damn much about her was that she looked for the good in people no matter how dark or evil they may be. And she had looked for the best in him from the day he met her and that was something that hadn't change in all their centuries together._

* * *

"Well, he wasn't good enough for you." Klaus stated, pulling Rebekah from her reverie.

"No one was ever good enough for me, Nik, you made sure of that," Rebekah responded, her voice tainted with bitterness. "Now where is Elijah?"

Before Klaus could answer his phone started buzzing, he looked at the screen seeing his son's name flashing across the screen. He stood, brushing past her to the door.

Rebekah turned around frowning after him. "Where are you going?"

"It appears the night is not quite over, yet. I'm off for another drink with Marcel." And if he was lucky perhaps Caroline would be there this time.

"Elijah told me about your plan to take apart Marcel's empire piece by piece. I don't remember it involving you two drinking New Orleans dry together." Rebekah stated with ire.

"I know you don't have many friends, Rebekah, but what some friends do when they get together is they drink. And when they drink, they tell secrets." he responded condescendingly. "Marcel has somehow found a way to control the entirety of witches in the Quarter, and I aim to uncover the 'how' so I might take it for myself. Finding Elijah didn't make my to-do list today." Klaus turned walking to the door but paused turning on his heel back to Rebekah. 'Oh, and welcome home, little sister." He told her with a smirk before taking his leave, the door shutting behind him.

Rebekah turned on the spot, contemplating what he said. She looked around the house, deciding she was going to have to search this house inch by inch until she found out what her evil brother did to her good one.

* * *

Rebekah walked down a spiral case, remembering how the Governor had a lot of secret rooms and these stairs led you to his favorite.

Seconds later she arrived in a dusty, cobwebbed cellar room, the coffins lined up in the room caught her attention. The same coffins Klaus would keep her, and their brothers in whenever he was feeling vindictive which was most of the time and daggered them.

She recognized her own coffin but did not see Elijah's and concluded that Klaus must have had him stashed elsewhere.

Rebekah frowned all she wanted to do was find Elijah and leave get as far from Klaus and this city, she moved deeper into the lower floor, continuing her search in hopes that she would find Elijah.

* * *

Sophie was scrubbing a table inside the Gumbo restaurant, Rousseau's when the doors slammed shut suddenly, the sound of a whoosh of a vampire running whispering in her ear but the vampire itself remained unseen. She walked cautiously, listening for further sounds. "Hello?" she called out and received only silence. "Seriously, Marcel? Trying to scare me? I had nothing to do with the attack on your guys last night!"

Some hanging pots started moving behind Sophie, as though a wind has passed through them, and she whirled around. She walked toward them slowly, grabbing up a butcher knife, which she lifted in time for Rebekah to appear suddenly, grabbing her raised, knife-wielding arm.

"Sophie Deveraux." said Rebekah. "My brother, Elijah, told me about you. Know who I am?"

"Yeah, I know."

Rebekah released her grip. "Then you know we need to talk."

* * *

Rebekah and Sophie walked among the burial vaults of the cemetery.

"So, if I had to guess, knowing Klaus's history, Elijah has a dagger in his chest. It's a magical object, you're a witch. Do a locator spell, locate the dagger, locate Elijah." Rebekah told her

"I can't use magic." Sophie informed her. "It's punishable by death – Marcel's rules."

"Marcel?" Rebekah repeated. "What do you think I'm going to do to you if you don't give me what I want?"

"Not much. I've been linked, so anything you do to me, you do to Caroline."

"Caroline?" Rebekah repeated. "She's a vampire."

"And vampires who are not originals can still die." Sophie looked at her significantly.

Rebekah glared darkly at her. Her history with Caroline had become complicated at best. While she had been relieved that a woman she thought of as a sister was not dead it did not mean the issues they had in the past were erased.

And she was sure if she did something that resulted in Caroline's death both Marcel and Klaus would be looking for a way to replicate what white oak stakes did to Originals. "Right," said Rebekah. "Lucky for you I'm not keen on being hunted down, otherwise I'd break your neck right here. How did Marcel get so bloody powerful, anyway? He wasn't like this when I left a hundred years ago. I know he has Caroline but it's not like she's an original."

"Marcel has a way to tell whenever there's magic done in the Quarter. The 'how' isn't relevant." Sophie responded.

"I'll tell you what's not bloody relevant – a coven of witches who can't do magic. Here's an idea: move away." Rebekah snarked. Why stay in a town ruled by vampires trapped beneath Marcel's thumb.

"We practice ancestral magic. This cemetery is filled with the remains of our witch ancestors. Without access to them, we're powerless." Sophie explained the witches and her plight. "If we run, we're leaving our legacy behind – our home, our family."

"Well, family's overrated." Rebekah scoffed. "Look at me. I'm back in a city that's given me nothing but heartache, looking for a brother who's hell-bent on reuniting our family, something I could care less about."

"I find that hard to believe. You're here, aren't you?" asked Sophie.

"I'm here for Elijah. The instant I find him, I'm gone. He was the one who idiotically believed that Caroline is Niklaus' redemption. And now he's missing, probably at the hands of Klaus himself." said Rebekah. "And you were foolish enough to believe that Elijah could convince Klaus to go against Marcel and Caroline when everyone who matters knows that they have a history."

"Klaus sired Marcel and Caroline was his lover for centuries. I'm aware." Sophie responded.

"You don't understand. Marcel is not just some guy that Klaus turned into a vampire. Klaus loved him like a son." she shook her head. "And Caroline wasn't just some lover. She was his _wife_. For six hundred years."

* * *

 **NEW ORLEANS, 1820**

 _The Mikaelson's were part of the funeral procession for the Governor's son, Emli, dressed all in black, following behind a horse-drawn carriage._

* * *

"I was there the day that Klaus and Caroline met Marcel." Rebekah told Sophie. "We were burying Emil, the governor's only son... or so we thought."

"Turns out the governor had another son, from a mother that he owned." said Rebekah.

* * *

 **NEW ORLEANS, 1820**

 _A man on a horse whipped a young black boy, the boy screamed out in pain with each lash to his back._

 _Caroline had stopped at the cry of pain, glancing back over her shoulder, her eyes widening when she saw a young child being whipped. She turned around stepping away from the procession._

 _Anger surged through her. No child should be treated that way._

 _She didn't care about the color of his skin, no child, no human, should be lashed, again and again, beaten while they were down. She took a step forward, wanting to kill the man on the horse._

 _She wanted to take the whip from him and see how he liked to be whipped, she wanted to hurt him, she wanted to feel his bones crushed beneath her hands. She wanted to kill him. But before she could take another step forward, she felt herself being yanked back, a hand wrapping around her waist, her back pressed against a familiar chest and her husband's voice in her ear. "Wait, Caroline."_

 _Caroline froze unsure of what he wanted to wait for but she trusted him, she stilled, relaxing in his arms even as her anger coursed through her on the young boy's behalf._

 _The boy, fell to his knees in pain, he reached for an apple on the ground his hand wrapping around it, he whirled around and threw it at the man with the whip, a fierce look of hatred in his eyes._

 _Infuriated, the man wound up for another lashing, Caroline reacted immediately pushing Klaus's arm away and moved to shield the boy at the same time Klaus grabbed a rock from the ground and hurled it with vampire strength at the man; it hit him dead in the forehead, killing him instantly his body falling off the horse to the ground._

 _Rebekah and Elijah watch as Klaus approached the boy and Caroline seemed to be hovering over him in concern._

 _Caroline knelt in front of the boy, uncaring if her dress got dirty, brushing her blond hair back with one hand, and reaching out with her other, she settled it on the boy's shoulder. "Are you okay?"_

 _The boy stared at her in surprise. He nodded. "I am fine, Ma'am."_

" _What is your name?" Klaus inquired standing just beside his wife._

" _Don't got one. Mama wouldn't name me till I turned ten, 'case the fever took me... then it took her." the boy responded, and Caroline's heart filled with compassion for the boy to lose his mother so young._

 _Klaus crouched down beside his wife getting on the boy's level. "You're a survivor, and survivors need names. How about Marcellus?"_

" _Marcellus?" the boy repeated._

" _It comes from Mars, the god of war, and it means 'little warrior'." Klaus stood up and held his hand out to the boy._

 _The boy hesitated, looking at Caroline, she smiled gently at him, standing up and nodding at him in encouragement._

 _The boy only hesitating a moment longer, something about the blonde that made him believe he could trust them, he smiled, taking Klaus's hand, rising to his feet. Caroline wrapped an arm around the boy's shoulder, offering Klaus a pleased smile._

 _Elijah and Rebekah watched the entire exchange with surprise. "Perhaps there is hope for our brother, afterall." Elijah commented._

* * *

 **PRESENT DAY**

"Klaus saw himself in the boy. He remembered how our father used to beat him. He, too, was the bastard child of a man who saw him as nothing but a beast. And Caroline, when she loves she gives it everything inside of her and Marcel, he became her son from the day they met. Caroline had never loved anyone the way she loved Klaus yet she chose to stay at Marcel's side knowing we were out there. If that doesn't tell you how much she loves Marcel than I don't know what will. Your plan to turn her against him will never work. And that is why your plan will fail. All you've done is brought back together a broken family."

Rebekah sent Sophie a look one that said that Sophie had no idea what she has done, leaving behind a stunned Sophie.

* * *

Marcel was sitting at the bar, drinking when Klaus walked in.

"Well, this is a far cry from last night's party." He noticed Cami sitting at the bar, writing. "Ah, in pursuit of the bartender from "Rousseau's", I see."

"She's a work in progress." said Marcel.

"And yet here you are, pining over her when you should be eating her for lunch. Oh, she must be special." Klaus commented. "What does your mother think of her?"

Klaus remembered how protective Caroline was of Marcel. She had not been happy when she found out about Marcel and Rebekah. She believed Rebekah would move on to another and break Marcel's heart something she was very much against.

Marcel gave a snort. "She's not fond of her but I'm a grown man."

Besides, he didn't get involved in his mother's love life and he expected the same of her. So far it's worked out well.

"Anyway, business first." Said Marcel, changing the subject. "The coroner called. He's got my number in case any dead tourists show up."

"Let me guess – dead tourists with a stamp on the hand and vampire blood in their veins?" asked Klaus knowingly.

"It happens. Someone takes a drunken tumble off a balcony, or into the Mississippi... And today I got two of them to deal with." said Marcel.

Klaus rose from his seat when he saw Cami start gathering her things, preparing to leave. "Excuse me, love." he stopped her as she was leaving. "What's that you're studying?"

"Abnormal psychology." she answered with a polite smile.

"Abnormal psychology, well. Perhaps you could help me diagnose my friend over here." Klaus told her. "He's been a little bit depressed, can't keep his mind off a girl. He tells me she's a queen, fit for a king. I think he should cut his losses and move on. What's your professional opinion?"

"Be a nice guy, and maybe the opportunity will present itself some day." She told Marcel.

"How about tonight, nine o'clock?" asked Marcel. "I'll meet you right here?"

"I'll take it under consideration." she told him before leaving.

"Mm, harsh." Marcel commented, not used to being brushed off so easily.

"I daresay I've lost my touch. Or you've lost yours." Klaus shared a smile with his son.

Marcel took a sip of his drink. "I'm going to say you definitely lost your touch after all Caroline won't even talk to you."

Klaus's smile faded. "Perhaps you could help with that since you and she are so close."

"I could." Marcel nodded. "But I'm not going to. I rather like having a good relationship with her, she's not too happy about all the time I'm spending with you as it is."

Klaus forced a smile. "The pains of being the child of a broken home."

"Something like that," responded Marcel, sipping his drink.

"Speaking of your mother, what is she up to today?" Klaus inquired.

"No, I'm not about to get in the middle of what is going on with the two of you or not going on as it were." Marcel shook his head.

"Marcellus." It was rare when Klaus called him by his full name. "I'm trying to get my wife back and it would be helpful if you weren't against me on the matter."

"Just how does one go about winning their wife back when they left them behind?" Marcel responded, earning himself a murderous glare but he didn't flinch.

Klaus jaw clenched, biting back harsh words in reply to Marcel.

* * *

Hayley moved through the quarter trying her best to be discreet as she asked questions about the wolves, she spotted a small shop and strolled inside.

"You're going to have to come back tomorrow." A young woman with caramel skin told her. " I'm just closing up."

"I just have a few questions. Certainly, you wouldn't mind sparing just a few minutes." Hayley responded, putting on a fake smile.

"Fine." The woman said after a moment. "You have five minutes."

"Your a witch, right?" asked Hayley, stepping further into the shop.

The woman walked around the counter, looking at her carefully before finally responding. "And you're a werewolf. You shouldn't be in the Quarter. You'll get yourself killed."

"Sometimes you don't have a choice." Said Hayley. "I wanted to ask about the werewolves of the Quarter?"

Katie's lips thinned. "You really got a death wish, asking about werewolves around here."

"I'm just looking for some answers." Hayley looked at her with what she hoped was her best pleading look.

"You won't always like the answers you receive."

Hayley fought off a sigh. "I'm willing to take that risk."

Katie eyed her closely for a moment. "The wolves were run out of the Quarter a long time ago but there are sightings of them out in the bayou. You want answers, you need to go there and to the ones who ran them out of town to begin with."

"And who might that be."

"Caroline Forbes and Marcel Gerald."

* * *

"You take me to the nicest places," Klaus commented as Marcel had taken him to a garage.

Thierry and Diego opened the doors of a van. Two young kids by the names of Tina and Josh were sitting up in the back having just came back to life and both were in transition.

"Welcome to the land of the newly dead. I won't waste your time." Marcel looked at Thierry. "I trust you filled them in?"

"To be honest, not much in the way of potential here," Thierry informed him.

"Yeah, well, I just lost six night-walkers. I got holes to fill." Responded Marcel, he wasn't feeling too picky at the moment. "I'll keep this quick. That itch you feel? That's the need to feed coming on strong, a hunger for human blood. Drink it – you're a vampire. Don't – you die. Again. This time for good. Right here in a body bag." He looked at Klaus. "Hey, what do you think, cute dorky girl or gay best friend?"

"Dealer's choice," said Klaus.

"Dealer's choice, okay." Marcel showed them a coin. "Whoever picks up this coin gets to live forever. The other one dies." He laid down the coin between the two young people. "Go!"

The male looked at the girl and she didn't hesitate to grab up the coin.

"Damn girl!" Marcel laughed. "I said, damn!"

"How could you!?" The male looked at her in complete and utter betrayal.

"Get over it, Josh." The girl snapped at him, not the least bit remorseful. "It's not like I had a choice. You would've done the same thing, but you're such a little – "

Marcel had heard enough and snapped the girl's neck. "Let her die in cold storage." He lookedto Klaus. "Got a thing about people who betray their own friends. C'mon. Let's go for a ride."

* * *

Rebekah watched from a balcony above as Klaus loaded Josh into the car, Marcel was talking on his cell phone.

The scene before her made her recall a memory of the two of them.

* * *

" _Attack au Fer! Now counter-parry. A hit! Palpable hit." Klaus called out orders as a young Marcel practiced fencing with Rebekah._

" _I'm gonna marry you someday." Marcel declared._

" _I would never marry someone who couldn't best me in a duel," Rebekah told him with a smile._

" _You're too old for him anyway." Caroline stepped forward her hand landing on Marcel's back._

 _Rebekah glared at that. "Are you calling me old, sister?"_

 _Caroline shot her a grin. "Don't worry, Becca, you're still beautiful."_

" _Flatterer." Rebekah accused with a smile._

 _Caroline smiled before focusing her attention back to Marcel._

" _You did well. You are really starting to improve." she complimented._

" _Do you really think so, Caroline?" Marcel asked, looking up at her with a look of hope._

" _I do." Caroline smiled. "You are learning quick."_

" _Another lesson?" asked Rebekah._

* * *

A later memory hit Rebekah and even more powerful than the last.

* * *

 _An adult Marcel and Rebekah were dueling, the sexual tension between them thick in the air. He backed her into a corner and they removed their fencing masks. Marcel moved in to kiss her when Klaus appeared suddenly and he and Rebekah stepped back from one another as if burned._

* * *

Rebekah was standing on a balcony when Marcel found her, pulling her from her memories of past long ago. If she was honest with herself she was waiting for him.

"Rebekah Mikaelson. Come to teach me another lesson? Last time I saw you, Royal Street was burning and you all were fleeing from the city from your daddy."

"I thought you were dead," said Rebekah. "I thought both you and Caroline were dead."

"You never looked back to find out." Marcel was unmoved. "Why are you here?"

"Elijah," she answered. "I think Klaus has done something to him."

"Stop. Stop right there." Marcel told her, holding a hand up. "If there is one thing I learned about you Mikaelsons, it's don't get in the middle of family feuding. Doesn't end well."

* * *

 **1830s**

" _There is nothing going on between us. I swear it, on my life." Marcel swore._

" _Your life means something to me," Klaus told him, anger seeping into his next words. "Give me the privilege of honesty or that will cease to be the case."_

" _I like her. And I think it's mutual, but I haven't done anything about it. I wouldn't, not –"_

" _And you won't." Klaus cut him off. "I love my sister, but she lacks fortune when it comes to men. They come and go for her, but I am the constant. She's my family."_

" _You said I was family." Marcel reminded. "I have begged you to turn me into a vampire."_

" _And I told you, I will turn you when you're ready. You go near Rebekah again, and you never will be." Klaus threatened._

" _That's not just your choice to make."_

 _Klaus and Marcel turned to see Caroline standing there with a somewhat unreadable expression._

" _Caroline." Klaus started. "You know how I feel about him and Rebekah."_

" _This isn't about you, Nik," Caroline stated firmly. "You think I want them together? I don't."_

" _Caroline-" Marcel protested._

" _I wasn't finished speaking." Caroline cut him off but with no anger._

" _I can't trust that she won't break your heart. I love Rebekah, I do but she falls in and out of love so easily. I would hate for you to have your heart broken if that were to happen with you." She glanced from him then to her husband. "But who you choose to be with, who you to choose to open your heart to is up to you and no one else."_

 _Klaus jaw clenched in disagreement with his wife's words._

 _Caroline stepped forward, gripping Marcel's hands in her own. "And you are family," she said firmly, sincerely._

 _Marcel's eyes softened. "Mother."_

" _I may not always agree with your choices, sweetheart, but I am always here, I am always on your side and if being a vampire is what you want then I promise you," she gave his hands a squeeze. "I will turn you myself if I have to, just not right now. Okay?" She couldn't imagine living for an eternity without her son. Her life was only exactly as it was meant to be if she had both her men at her side. Her husband, Klaus and her son, Marcel. That was all that she needed to live a perfect eternity._

 _Marcel nodded. "Okay, mother." He smiled softly at her, squeezing her hands back._

* * *

"Even after all you've achieved, you're still scared of him," said Rebekah in wonder.

"I'm not scared of anyone." Marcel proclaimed.

"You say you don't get in the middle of family feuding but there's was a time you and Caroline were both a part of this family." reminded Rebekah.

"Not anymore," he replied unapologetically. "And I know for a fact Caroline would agree with me."

"If I find out you or Caroline know where Elijah is, you needn't fear Klaus – I'll kill the both of you myself," Rebekah promised.

Marcel stepped forward his gaze hard. "Don't threaten Caroline or you might not like the results. You Mikaelson's aren't the only ones willing to go to bat for family. I wouldn't make an enemy out of me if I were you."

Rebekah met his gaze, surprise flickering across her own.

Marcel forced a smile once he knew his message had gotten across, "Nostalgia's a blast and all, but I can't help you. It was nice seeing you, though. Good luck finding what you're looking for." he turned, jumping off the balcony.

* * *

Marcel walks into a bar in the Quarter, his eyes scanning the place until he spotted just who he was looking for. Klaus was seated at the bar, drinking.

"I know that face – woman trouble," Klaus said when Marcel joined him.

"You're a dick, you know that? Why didn't you tell me your sister's back in town?" Marcel wanted to know.

"Well, I thought it would be more amusing for you to find out for yourself," Klaus responded.

"Is there anything else that I need to know?" asked Marcel.

"Only that she's grown considerably more insane in the last century," Klaus smirked.

"Or maybe that it was her who killed my guys?" Marcel countered.

"Doubtful," said Klaus dryly. "Unless that biker bar is frequented by small-town, high school quarterbacks, I can't imagine she'd be interested."

Marcel's phone started ringing and he answered it. "Yeah?"

Klaus listened in with his vampire hearing while keeping an uninterested expression.

"Just got a tip – someone saw a werewolf in Bienville Park."

"Get a couple night-walkers to run it down. Bring me back its head." Marcel ordered before hanging up.

"Well, I guess that solves the mystery of the murdered riffraff. At least my sister's in the clear." Said Klaus.

"About that." started Marcel, getting up to leave. "I don't have time for Mikaelson family drama. You're my guest – keep your sister in line."

"I'd have a greater chance of draining the Mississippi with a straw!" Klaus responded with a raised voice, calling after Marcel's retreating back.

* * *

Caroline had heard from Marcel that Rebekah was in town when he called her just a little while ago but she was still surprised when she caught sight of her walking down one of the many streets of the French Quarter. "Rebekah Mikaelson."

She watched as the other blonde's steps faltered and she turned around slowly. "Caroline."

"Still, sticking by Klaus's side I see."

"What makes you say that?" Rebekah's eyes narrowed defensively.

"The fact that your both here in New Orleans, kinda speaks for itself," Caroline stated.

"Well, you're wrong, I'm not here for him." Rebekah took a step toward her. "I'm looking for Elijah."

"Hmm." Caroline nodded. "Isn't that the same thing? Where Klaus is the two of you are never far behind."

"Is that so?" asked Rebekah. "Then you won't have any problem with telling me where my brother is?"

"I'm pretty sure Klaus is hitting the town with my son." Caroline replied easily.

"Not that brother," Rebekah said impatiently. "Elijah. I want to know where Elijah is?"

"I wouldn't know, haven't seen him," Caroline replied disinterestedly.

"Don't lie to me," Rebekah warned. "I don't think you need to be reminded of my vicious streak."

"All you Mikaelson's have a vicious streak and vague threats have no effect on me." Caroline raised her chin defiantly. "You want to find Elijah than you should talk to Klaus." she turned on her heel, turning to go but pausing. "Oh and one more thing, Bekah, steer clear of my son. The last thing we need is yet another Mikaelson back in his life."

Rebekah sped in front of her but Caroline didn't so much as flinch. "You are a Mikaelson or have you forgotten that? Perhaps you need a little reminding."

Caroline met her challenge stepping forward, her jaw squaring, eyes hard. "I haven't been a Mikaelson in a very long time. Perhaps you're the one who needs reminding of that not me. I stopped being a Mikaelson the night, you, Elijah and Klaus fled the city without looking back to see if Marcel and I were even alive." Caroline pushed past her, intentionally shoving into her shoulder as she did so. "Do us all a favor and take Klaus and leave town."

Rebekah whirled around, glaring after her. "What about Elijah?"

"What about him?" Caroline steps didn't falter as she called back. "He's your concern. Not mine."

Rebekah watched her go, a little dumbfounded. This Caroline was much different than the one she knew, less caring and more hardened. How much had the last two hundred years changed her?

She didn't know and she wasn't entirely sure she wanted to either.

* * *

Rebekah moved through the Quarter when she caught the sounds of a struggle, she followed the noise to Bienville Park where she saw a dark hair girl fighting off two vampires.

"Werewolves aren't welcome in the Quarter." One of the two vampires declared.

Werewolf? The only werewolf she knew was in the Quarter was the one Elijah had told her about. Rebekah sped onto the scene, snapping the neck of one and ripping the heart out from the other.

"Who the hell are you?" The girl demanded, eyes flashing yellow.

"You must be the werewolf girl, working with the witches and my brothers," Rebekah said, knowingly looking at the girl's yellow eyes. "Rebekah Mikaelson."

"You're Klaus and Elijah's sister." She said in surprise. "I'm Hayley."

"I don't really care who you are," Rebekah told her. "I care about what you can tell me. When is the last time you saw my brother, Elijah?"

* * *

Klaus threw the final body onto a small pile in the front courtyard of the plantation house while he berated Rebekah and Hayley for their behavior. Why did they have to complicate things when they were complicated enough as it were.

"What the hell were you even doing in the Quarter, Haley? The witches should have you on a leash," he yelled at the wolf girl that Rebekah had brought back with her after saving said wolf's life. "Werewolves are banned in the Quarter. I had a plan, and your little nighttime stroll put it all in peril!"

Rebekah was used to his rants and tantrums and half ignored him, she noticed one of the vampires in the pile of bodies moving, still alive and step forward with the intention of finishing him off.

"Leave him!" Klaus snapped angrily, stopping her, no longer focusing his attention on Hayley. "You've done enough, don't you think? Leaving a trail of bodies like a roadmap to my door?"

"If I hadn't overheard this lot bragging about werewolf heads, everyone here would be screwed. And don't give me that crap about having a plan. You've had all the time in the world to execute a plan, and no one's seen you do a damn thing!" Rebekah snapped, she wasn't going to stand here and listen to him ridicule her. "Elijah made a deal to take out Marcel and help you get Caroline back in a misguided hope that it could save you from your selfish, rotten self. But you obviously don't give a damn about Elijah or anyone but yourself, because what have you done to honor his deal."

"I have done everything." Klaus countered defensively. "Let me spell it out for you, shall I? From the day I arrived, Marcel and Caroline have not trusted me. From day one, Marcel's had his vampires ingest toxic vervain which, as you know, little sister, protects them from my mind control."

"I needed a spy, someone on the inside with me who Marcel would never suspect. So, I created a Day Zero and got there first. Marcel had just lost six vampires, thanks to your little murder spree, and he needed new recruits. So, I made the new one mine, before he'd had even a drop of vervain." Klaus began listing off everything he has done so far since being in New Orleans.

"But we all know the real way to a man is through his heart, so…" He had compelled the local bartender, Cami, to give Marcel a chance, learn anything she can and report back to him. "I compel his little human to give him a chance and relay everything back to me."

Klaus snatched the moving vampire from the pile of bodies like he was nothing more than a ragdoll. "And this one – I'm gonna drain him of vervain, compel him to believe his mates found religion and moved to Utah so that he can explain to Marcel why he lost three more vampires tonight." He dragged the vampire into the house and Rebekah and Hayley followed him inside.

"Does anyone have any more questions?" He asked, dropping the vampire and shoving him away, the vampire laid motionless feet away. "No? Good, because I have a question. Hayley, what were you doing in the bloody French Quarter in the first place?" When Hayley said nothing, he felt his anger rising. "Answer me!"

"I'm tired of being cooped up in the swamps. I wanted to just see the city for a bit."

Klaus ran forward, slamming her into the wall his hand, wrapped tightly around her throat. "Are you fucking stupid?! This isn't the time for you to be taking a stroll in the city."

Hayley gasped for breath, her nails clawing at his hand trying to pull him off her.

"Nik! NIK!" Rebekah shouted at him, she ran at him to try and pry him off the wolf but Klaus pushed her away with his free hand.

"Back off, Rebekah!" He snapped angrily, veins traveling beneath his eyes. He turned back to Hayley, his hand tightened around her throat,

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Rebekah demanded. "I thought you didn't care about anything but your full of bullshit. You care more than your willing to admit to anyone even to yourself."

In annoyance he released Hayley and she coughed and spluttered as he whirled around to Rebekah. "Don't be delusional Rebekah. I don't care about anything."

Rebekah gave him a reproachful look. "Yes, you do. You care about Caroline. Everything you have been doing has been for her. Your reaction to Hayley being in the Quarter? You don't want her ruining your plans on taking back the city and getting your wife back." When Klaus said nothing, staring back at her with a clenched jaw. "It's okay to care. It's okay to want back what you lost. That's all Elijah was trying to do. He wanted you to care. All he's ever wanted was for you to care. It's all we've ever wanted."

Klaus looking away from his sister and shot Hayley a look. "Leave get back to the witches. If you mess up my plans I'll kill you myself."

Hayley glared rubbing at her neck before rushing out of the house.

Klaus's angry expression faded once she was gone, and reeling from being confronted with his feelings, he sunk down on the stairs.

Rebekah watched him for a moment before slowly taking a seat beside him.

"I gave Elijah to Marcel," he admitted a moment later.

"What?" Rebekah asked, looking at him in disbelief.

"Marcel was nervous. It's bad enough one Original returned to town, but two? His crew was getting antsy. He wanted Elijah gone, so... I gave him a peace offering."

"You bartered our brother?" Rebekah didn't know why she was so surprised. Klaus had done far worse things but this was Elijah they were talking about. How could Klaus do this to him?

"I have a plan. Gain Marcel's trust, dismantle his empire, honor Elijah's wish that our family be reunited. And more importantly get my wife back." Klaus said without remorse, his eyes hardening over as he locked gazes with Rebekah's betrayed one. "I am executing that plan the only way I know how. If you don't like it, there's the door. See if I care." he rose, walking out of the room without a backward glance.

Rebekah let out a breath, leaning back, shoulders slumping. How was she supposed to leave now? She couldn't. She couldn't leave Elijah in the hands of Marcel.

* * *

Rebekah sat on the back porch, staring out at the night, her mind drifted to what she had found when she had been looking for Elijah. She reached beneath her chair and stared down at the white oak daggers that Klaus loved to use on her so much.

She wasn't worried Klaus would come upon her and see that she had found his stash of daggers. He had left not long after he revealed that he had given Elijah to Marcel.

She didn't know why her brothers had such a hold on her. Klaus in particular. No matter the betrayal she always found herself being drawn back into his actions, his orbit.

She had spent the last thousand years with him but she couldn't do it anymore but deciding to quit someone who has always been apart of your life was like losing a part of yourself. But sometimes her hate for Klaus was just… so powerful. Emil wasn't the only boyfriend of hers that Klaus had killed. He did it again and again and every time she found someone to care about.

She used to watch him with Caroline and she would be so envious. She saw how her brother would burn down an entire city if Caroline so much as asked him to, how what Caroline wanted, needed, matter more to him than what he wanted. It was the only time Klaus wasn't selfish.

And all she had wanted was someone to love her the way Caroline was loved but Klaus just kept killing any chance she found at being happy until she just stopped falling in love. Klaus had always said he was protecting her from her mistakes, that no one was ever good enough for her, his little sister. At least until one day someone was.

* * *

 **1830s**

 _Marcel approached Rebekah in the courtyard where they usually practiced their fencing._

" _How was the river?" asked Rebekah._

" _It was cool…" Marcel's eyes took her in. "sweet."_

 _Rebekah rose, feeling nervous as he drew closer, trying her hardest not to allow herself to be distracted by his shirtless chest. "I should go inside –"_

 _Marcel blocked her way when she tried to leave and backed her against the wall. Rebekah stared up at him with desire. Marcel ducked his head down kissing her passionately, and Rebekah return it, clutching at him, but after a moment she pushed him away, coming to her senses. "My brother will kill you," Rebekah warned with worry. She wasn't worried about herself, but for Marcel. She feared what Klaus would do to him._

" _Then I'll die smiling." He pressed his mouth back to Rebekah's, it barely lasted more than a moment before he was pulled roughly away from her, his back colliding into the wall and he was faced with his father's wrath._

" _Did I not warn you?" Klaus shouted, fencing sword in hand._

 _Rebekah felt fear coursed through her. "Klaus, I beg of you! He is not like any other. You saw it in him from the very first day." She all but pleaded, hoping she convince him to spare Marcel. "You saved him, protected him... you raised him. You cannot kill him."_

 _Rebekah laid a hand on Klaus' sword arm, which dropped slowly._

 _Marcel sighed in relief as the sword clattered to the ground._

" _You are right. I cannot." Klaus said hollowly._

 _Rebekah felt relief hit her followed by a sharp pain in her chest as Klaus drove a dagger through her heart._

" _But you, dear sister, need a lesson in what you can and cannot take from me." Klaus stated coldly, his jaw clenched._

 _Marcel watched, horrified, frozen as Rebekah weakened anddesicated in Klaus' arms._

* * *

With the daggers in her possession, she had nothing to fear from Klaus. She could do whatever it took to get Elijah back from Marcel without fear that Klaus would dagger her next.

She smiled slowly to herself. She would keep the daggers and she would free Elijah from Marcel's grasp.

* * *

Marcel joined Cami at a table with a bottle of wine at his favorite bar in the Quarter. The place was empty save for the two of them. "I sent everyone home for the night. I am your humble host."

"Oh... okay." Cami smiled impressed. "Extra points for flair."

"And the night's just started." He grinned. "What made you decide to come?"

"Everyone deserves a chance," she responded with an open smile.

Suddenly the doors of the restaurant swung wide open and Rebekah burst inside. "You lied to me. Where's my brother?" She demanded.

"Hello to you, too. Cami, Rebekah – Rebekah, Cami." Marcel made the necessary introductions, his eyes narrowing in annoyance at the interruption.

"I see you still have a thing for blondes." Rebekah snarked, eyeing Cami distastefully.

An affronted look came across Cami's face and she rose from her seat. "Hey–"

Rebekah grabbed Marcel by the neck and vamp sped him across the room, slamming him against the wall. "Tell me where Elijah is!"

"What the hell is going on?" Cami demanded, alarmed, her heart beating quickly in her chest.

"Tell me where he is or I will kill you!" Rebekah threatened viciously. She didn't care what history they shared. She wasn't leaving without Elijah.

Marcel merely looked at Rebekah, and for a moment she saw a memory from the past.

A shared passionate kiss between the two of them.

Marcel had deliberately sent her the memory.

"No, you won't," he said confidently.

Slowly, Rebekah backed off, releasing him. Maybe, she did care for their shared history after all. Some things were hard to let go. "Perhaps you're right." A moment of tense silence past between them before Rebekah sped over to the blonde, grabbing Cami, pinning her against the wall by her throat. "But I will kill her."

"Let her go." Marcel stepped forward, guarded, jaw clenching angrily. "You won. I'll take you to see Elijah."

Rebekah waited another moment before releasing Cami.

Cami gasped for air clutching her throat, her heart beating in fear, looking appalled. "What the hell are you people?"

"Shh, it's okay." Marcel gently took her by the shoulders, catching her gaze and compelling her. "Go home, forget all this, and just know that I will make it up to you. I promise." He released her turning to Rebekah. "You wanna see Elijah? Fine. Follow me."

Rebekah followed him out of the restaurant, leaving Cami alone.

* * *

Marcel had led Rebekah to an old church and led her up to the attic opening the door and walking into the room.

Rebekah stood in the doorway but when she spotted Elijah's coffin, she stepped forward but much to her surprise she couldn't pass the threshold, a magical barrier keeping her out. "Invite me in."

"Gotta ask the lady of the house." Marcel gave a crooked smile. "Davina, come on out, sweetheart."

A young dark-haired girl entered into her view, moving to stand at Marcel's side.

"Invite her in." Marcel told Davina.

"Come in." Davina said, trusting Marcel completely.

Rebekah entered the room, walking over to Elijah's coffin, she opened it to find her brother inside. She reached for the dagger buried in his chest and started to pull it out.

"I wouldn't do that." Davina cautioned.

Rebekah, magically compelled, her movements not her own, shoved the dagger back in.

"Who the hell are you?" Rebekah demanded.

"Davina," she answered. "She's an old one, isn't she?" she asked Marcel without looking away from Rebekah.

"Yeah. Rebekah is an Original, which means she can't be killed."

"She doesn't seem very nice," Davina commented, eyeing Rebekah.

"She can be…" Marcel allowed. "but she hasn't been very nice to me tonight."

"Then I'm afraid it's time for you to leave," Davina told Rebekah, the look in her eyes becoming hard. Without moving a muscle, Davina magically propelled Rebekah across the room, slamming her against one wall and then another one several times before finally sending her through a door, it swung shut behind her with a deafening slam.

* * *

 **NEW ORLEANS, 1887**

 _Rebekah awoke, her hair styled in the 1830s fashion, she sat up on the bed, her eyes wide._

" _Well, it's about time," Klaus said from nearby where he was seated at a table twirling the silver dagger with its point balanced on the tabletop. "I was bored waiting... but I did so want to see your face, and it is, indeed, priceless."_

" _You bastard." Rebekah seethed in betrayal. "What day is it?"_

" _Sunday," he answered._

" _I have been daggered for a whole week? Marcel – what have you done to him?" she demanded, she knew he had to be alive there was no way Caroline would have let Klaus kill him._

" _It's 1887, Rebekah. You've been daggered for 52 years." Klaus answered, his eyes had a dark look but his lips pulled into a smirk._

" _What?" asked Rebekah, eyes widened, face falling in disbelief. That couldn't be possible?_

" _And don't worry about Marcel. You and I both know Caroline would never forgive me if I was to dispose of him the way I have your past lovers. And he is my son." said Klaus his smirk fading into something dark. "I presented him with a choice: he could choose to undagger you and live out the rest of his human days with you, or–"_

" _No." Rebekah said in immediate denial. Marcel wouldn't._

 _Klaus continued as if she hadn't spoken. "I could turn him instead, as he's always wanted, in exchange for giving you up."_

" _No." Rebekah repeated shaking her head in denial. "He wouldn't do that to me."_

" _Oh, but he did," Klaus smirked as the door opened and Marcel entered the room bearing a lit candle. He looked at Rebekah, expressionless._

 _Rebekah felt the betrayal hit her hard, her eyes filling with tears, she shut them tightly, devastated._

* * *

 **NEW ORLEANS, PRESENT DAY**

"Make that Two Tequila's David," Caroline called to the bartender leaning on the bartop.

"Coming right up, Beautiful." The male bartender, David, called back in his British accent.

Caroline leaned over the bar as he turned to make the drinks, checking him out until she heard a throat clearing, she pulled back turning back around to see Silvi, giving her a knowing look. "What, he's looking good tonight."

"David is always looking great," Silvi replied, glancing at the man in question, he was tall, broad shoulder and incredibly fit, his shirt clinging to the muscle of his biceps, his jeans fit perfectly to his legs, and his ass looked amazing in them.

"He does, doesn't he?" Caroline glanced over her shoulder at him, his perfectly chiseled jaw, covered in light stubble and the blue of his cerulean eyes and his perfectly tanned skinned and sandy blonde curls.

"You know I find it very telling that he has similar traits to your old flame that blew into town," Silvi said leadingly.

"I don't." Caroline shot her a glare. "They have nothing in common."

"Really? Because I'm seeing a lot of similarities." Continued Silvi with a grin. "Blue eyes, sandy blonde curls, stubble and let's not forget hot British accents."

Caroline glared. "They are nothing alike. David is kind and loyal and caring and he doesn't expect things just because he thinks he some special gift to the world."

"I'm sensing some underlining issues. How come you never mention him before?" Silvi referred to Klaus.

"Because he doesn't matter. He's the past. I don't care to think of anyone who I have no use for when I deserve someone who would fight for me." Caroline responded.

"Say the word and I'll fight for you anytime." David set the two shots in front of her. "On the house."

Caroline grinned. "So sweet."

"I try." he grinned. "We still on for tonight?"

Caroline leaned forward, grasping his face in between her hands and pressed her mouth to his in a heated kiss.

David groaned gripping the bartop, his mouth moving with her's until she pulled away.

"We'll meet up after your shift," she promised.

David grinned. "I'm counting down the minutes."

"Alright, you two are sickeningly sweet, time to go." declared Silvi before downing her shot.

Caroline barely had time to down her own shot before Silvi was dragging her out of her favorite bar. "Hey, why are we leaving?"

"I want the details on this ex of yours." Silvi linked their arms as they walked down the sidewalk. "And I don't believe its a good idea for your current flame to be over-hearing us discussing the old one."

"I don't see what it matters, it's not like David and I are serious." Caroline dismissed.

"Does he know that cause he looks at you like you hung the stars in the sky." Silvi sassed.

Caroline opened her mouth then shut it, clicking her tongue. "He knows I don't do the whole commitment thing. I told him the first time anything ever happened between us."

"Clearly you did once, since you're married." Silvi reminded.

"I don't need you to remind me of that." Caroline shot her a glare.

"Or maybe you do since you've never mentioned him to me before," Silvi argued.

"My relationship with Klaus was over long before I met you." Caroline retorted. "It was in the past where I would like it to stay."

"Well, I don't think he agrees." Said Silvi as she spotted Klaus turning down the corner street. "Especially since the very sight of you has him freezing in place."

"What?" Caroline looked across the road and saw Klaus, she looked skyward groaning. "Why can't he just leave already?"

"Maybe because he's still in love with you?" Silvi suggested.

"Doubtful." Caroline snarked. "You don't leave someone you claim to love behind. It doesn't matter our relationship is over and done with." she started pulling them down the sidewalk intent on ignoring Klaus entirely.

"Just because a relationship is over doesn't mean you stopped loving them," argued Silvi.

"No, but sometimes their actions kill the love you had for them and nothing they say or do can change that." Caroline retorted.

"You loved me once." Klaus's voice sounded from just behind them. "You can love me again."

Caroline stopped abruptly, she unlinked her arms with Silvi, whirling around to glare at him. "It's rude to listen to a conversation you are not a part of."

"Since I was the topic of conversation I figured why not put my two cents in," Klaus stated, he stepped forward, glancing at Caroline's companion. "Klaus Mikaelson, Caroline's husband and you are?"

"She's none of your business." Caroline stepped protectively in front of Silvi. Most People, vampire, witch or human that came in contact with Klaus usually ended up dead and she wasn't about to let that happen with Silvi. "Head back to the compound, I'll meet you there." She told Silvi not looking away from Klaus, her tone left no room for an argument.

Silvi looked between the two but after seeing the defensive way she stood, she nodded, squeezing Caroline's arm. "I'll see you in a bit."

Caroline watched her disappear into the throng of people walking the streets before turning back to Klaus, crossing her arms.

"Really?" Klaus stepped forward. "Do you think I'm going to go around killing your friends? What good would that do?"

"What do you want, Klaus?"

"In your good graces," he answered easily.

Caroline scoffed. "Fat chance of that happening. You should just cut your losses."

"No." He shook his head. "I won't just give up on you. You think your love for me is dead but-"

Caroline uncrossed her arms, taking a step forward, just inches between them, she glared. "I don't think. I know. The love I feel for you is dead." She watched as a look of pain shown in his eyes before they steeled over and he clenched his jaw. It gave her a feeling of triumph being able to hurt him with something as simple as a few well placed harsh words.

"I got you to fall in love with me before I can do it again," Klaus vowed.

"I was human then and I'm nothing like that girl I was." Caroline retorted.

"Then let me get to know the woman you've become." Klaus stepped forward, closing the last remaining distance between them, his eyes peering into her own, practically pleading with her.

Caroline frowned back at him. "Why?" She was so different from the person she used to be, the wife that Klaus left behind. She didn't see the point. It would not change anything.

"So I can prove to you that it doesn't matter how much you've changed from the woman who was my wife, I will love any and every version of you." Klaus's hand reached out, reaching for her hands to clasp in his own, his hand tightening around hers when she didn't immediately pull away. "There is not a single version of you that I couldn't love."

Caroline found herself swept up in his sweet words, and intense blue gaze, her hand warm in his hold.

"I want to show you that what we have is stronger than the time we spent apart."

His words had her yanking her hand back from him, standing taller as she stepped back, her anger brimming just beneath the surface, her eyes steeling over. "Time that we spent apart because of you. You can claim to love me all you want but when it mattered you abandoned me to save your own skin. That is not love."

"That's not how it happened, I thou-"

"I don't care." Caroline cut him off. "You left. You let me go the second you left Marcel and me to die. Anything you have to say on the matter is meaningless and I don't want to hear it."

"If you just let me explain-"

"There's nothing for you to explain," Caroline said abruptly. "I get that you're sticking around and you're reconnecting with Marcel and if he wants you back in his life that's his choice but I don't want you back in mine and there is nothing you can say or do that will change my mind. We were done a long time ago, our relationship belongs in the past. Let it stay there."

Caroline didn't wait for a response, she turned on her heel and sped away.

Klaus looked down at her departure, her words still ringing in his head. He looked back, clenching his jaw. He was going to get through to her one way or another.

He thought back to that fucking night when he thought he lost her. When he left thinking she was dead. If he could only get her to see that night from his perspective, from his side, he was sure he could get her to forgive him or at the very least let her walls down and let him back in her heart.

* * *

Rebekah awakened on a bed in a room that was all too familiar to her.

"Welcome back, Rebekah." Marcel stood at the end of the bed. "You were out for quite a while."

"Where am I? How'd I get here?" Rebekah asked, casting her eyes about the room.

"You upset Davina. I'm glad you two finally got to meet. Now you know what you're dealing with." There was pride in his voice when he spoke of the young girl.

"Is this my old room?" asked Rebekah in surprise.

"Oh, it's mine now. Just like this town is mine, Davina's mine, Caroline's mine, and Elijah is mine until I feel like giving him back. What was once yours, what was once your brother's – it's now mine." Marcel turned walking toward the door but turned back to Rebekah at the last second. "And don't ever touch Cami again."

* * *

Klaus set his pencil aside and glanced down at the sketch in his hand he just finished, sitting behind his desk in his study.

Marcel sat on a throne a goblet in one hand and standing to his right, looking regal was Caroline, her hair falling around her shoulders, her expression closed off, eyes void of any warmth.

He made Marcel everything that he is. He treated him like a son. And when his father chased him and his family, Rebekah, and Elijah, from New Orleans a hundred years ago, he believed Marcel was killed. He had believed Caroline had died at Mikael's hands.

It was Elijah who had told him he saw Mikael kill Caroline, he had believed his brother. The very thought of seeing Caroline lifeless had filled him with such horror, he couldn't bear it. He knew it would break him and he would never recover. He left without seeing her dead body for himself. Something he had come to regret.

Elijah had gotten it wrong and maybe if he had gone to see her for himself, he would have found out that Mikael hadn't killed her and he wouldn't have left her behind. He wouldn't have spent the last two hundred years without his wife thinking she was lost to him. And Caroline wouldn't hate him now.

He had mourned both his wife and son. Yet, when he returned, he found not only had they survived, but Marcel had thrived and Caroline was not the Caroline he remembered. Instead of seeking him out, instead of sticking together as a family, as one, Marcel made a choice to take everything his family had built and made it his own and Caroline stayed at his side, Caroline helped him.

Now, Marcel was living in his home, he was sleeping in their beds all with Caroline's approval. That 'M' Marcel stamped everywhere... it was not for 'Marcel'. It was for 'Mikaelson'.

Klaus wanted it all back. His Home, his city. And more importantly his Caroline and if he has to push Marcel out to get it, then that's exactly what he was going to do.

He tore the sketch down the middle, separating the images of Marcel and Caroline. He crumbled the image of Marcel and placed the image of Caroline away in his desk.

A moment later he was hurrying down the stairs, only to meet Rebekah as she entered the house, slamming the door shut behind her. "You were right. The girl, Cami – she's the key. Marcel likes her, and because of that I got to see the secret weapon of his that you've been going on about."

"Well, don't stand on ceremony. What is it?" He waved his hand impatiently.

"It's not a 'what', it's a 'who'. A girl, Davina." Rebekah corrected. "She can't be more than sixteen, and I have never felt power like that."

"A witch," said Klaus.

"She's not just any witch, she's something I've never seen before, something beyond powerful, and now because of you she has Elijah." she looked at him in anger. "Who knows what she could do to him."

Klaus's jaw clenched. "Where is she?"

Rebekah opened her mouth to answer but shut it stopping, looking confounded she tried to think of it but it was like her mind was blocked. "That clever bitch. I don't know."

"What's wrong?" asked Klaus.

"She wiped my memory of the location." Rebekah snapped angrily. "Marcel possesses a weapon bigger and more powerful than an Original, and you handed our brother to him! How many times will Elijah forgive you? How long until his hope for your redemption finally dies?"

"I did what I had to do! Marcel took our home!" Klaus snapped back at her. He took his Caroline.

"And our home is worthless without family," Rebekah stressed. "I am finding Elijah – whatever it takes. Are you going to help me?"

"Whatever it takes." Klaus echoed in agreement.

* * *

Marcel entered the attic of the church; Davina was drawing at her easel, Caroline was seated on her bed. "What exactly is that supposed to be, D?" Caroline wondered, she couldn't really make out what Davina was sketching, it was dark and shaded.

"I'm not sure," Davina responded, she turned to Marcel as he drew closer.

"I'm sorry about that unpleasantness." he apologized.

"What was Rebekah even doing here?" Caroline didn't want any of the Mikaelson's near her.

"She doesn't scare me. None of them do." Davina declared strongly.

"I didn't think they would, honey," said Marcel, he loved her bravery but in all honesty, the Mikaelson's snooping around had him more worried than he wanted to admit. "But, the thing is, it seems like they're here to stay."

Caroline looked at Davina, worried. She knew Davina was powerful but not being cautious or wary of a Mikaelson was foolish.

"They don't belong here," Davina stated, eyes hardening with resolve.

"Might be kinda tough to convince them of that... which is why I need to ask you for a favor. I'm gonna need you to figure out how we kill an Original." Marcel told her.

"Kill an Original?" Caroline stood from the bed. "If you do that, Marcel, you're asking for war."

Marcel nodded expression grave. "I know but you said it yourself, you don't want Klaus here, you don't want him in your life."

"I want them out of the city, I didn't say to _kill_ them," Caroline stressed. She wanted Klaus gone and even Rebekah and Elijah but she didn't want to have to resort to killing them.

"Not a single one of them cared about what happened to us when they fled the city why should we care about them?" Marcel responded. "If they cared a damn about us they wouldn't have left us behind."

Caroline's eyes hardened with the reminder. Her son had a point. She would have never left them behind but it was exactly what they had done to her and Marcel. "If this is what think you have to do than do it."

"And you'll stand with me?" Marcel hated that he felt he had to ask but he knew what it was like to love a Mikaelson. It was all consuming and went against all logic. And even when you told yourself you felt that love was dead it had a way of resurrecting and bleeding to the surface.

Caroline's eyes softened and she reached up cupping his jaw in a motherly gesture. "I'll always stand with you. Your enemies are _my_ enemies. Anyone who comes after you in any capacity will have me to deal with and I can promise you it won't be pretty."

Marcel heard the conviction in her every word, setting his mind at ease, internally rolling his eyes at himself for ever doubting Caroline for even a second. He nodded slowly, taking his mother's hand and squeezing it affectionately.

Davina watched them, feeling envious that Marcel had a mother that would sooner die than let anything happen to him. She realized she must have let out a noise because Caroline turned to her, reaching out and wrapping her hand around hers.

"That goes for you too, Davina. The Mikaelsons may be family but so are the three of us and I will strike down anyone who comes after either one of you." Caroline promised.

Davina's lips pulled into a thankful smile. She may not have had a mother who would fight for her but she had Marcel and she had Caroline and that was enough.

Caroline smiled at both Marcel and Davina before bringing her hands together. "With that said," she turned back to Marcel. "You said let's find a way to kill an Original?"

"I did." Marcel nodded, glad to see that Caroline seemed to be on board.

Caroline looked at Davina. "Are you up for it?"

"I can do it," Davina said confidently.

Caroline looked at Marcel. "You're sure this is what you want to do?"

"It's what I have to do," Marcel said gravely, he had to protect his town, his guys, his family. Davina and Caroline.

"Then we'll do this together." Caroline declared, even though she knew there would be no turning back once they killed one of the Mikaelsons.

There was history there with the Originals, with Klaus that could never be forgotten or unwritten but her loyalties were to herself and her son, and now Davina, not the Mikaelson's. Not Klaus. Not anymore.

* * *

 **A/N: I want to apologize again for the long wait but hopefully the length of the chapter made up for that. Secondly, for those who might be concerned about Caroline's involvement with David. This is a slowburn but I promise Klaroline is endgame.**


	5. Chapter 5

This is not an update. Unfortunately, I will not be updating for a while. Several months at least. Could be longer.

My mother is having surgery this week coming up and she's gonna need care around the clock and with my job, and taking care of her and RL, I just won't have the time to write or work on any of the stories I have going.

I apologize sincerely but I will not be writing and all my stories are going on hiatus.

However, I will get back to them. Eventually.

Again, I just want to apologize for the long wait ahead.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I'm not too sure about this chapter but it's been forever since I updated this story. I hope the chapter doesn't completely suck. However, there are some Klaroline moment that I enjoyed writing. Anyway, I apologize for any mistakes and hope you like the chapter.**

 **Warning: There's light smut in this with Caroline and a guy who is not Klaus. If that bothers you feel free to skip the last of the chapter**

* * *

Klaus sat at his desk in his study, riffling through some old parchments.

"I cannot believe you disposed of those vampires without me," Rebekah complained, arms crossed over her chest. "You know how I love to set things on fire."

"Was I supposed to leave them in the front yard to rot?" Klaus didn't even bother looking at her. "Besides, they were my responsibility. They attacked the helpless wolf girl."

"Oh, I am so moved by your newfound sense of responsibility to a werewolf you don't even know," Rebekah said sarcastically.

"I have zero responsibility to her." he didn't care what happened to the wolf. "She is simply a means to an end. If I can benefit from a werewolf presence in the Quarter then so be it. That is her only use to me."

"Enough about how everyone is nothing but a pawn on your chess board. What about Elijah?" Rebekah demanded. "What are our plans?"

"Well, that depends what plan you mean, dear sister. My plan for global domination, or your plan to find love in a cruel, cruel world?"

Rebekah snatched up a pencil from the desk beside her in a flash and threw it at him. Klaus caught inches from his face just before it could impale him.

"Tsk, tsk." He smirked at her. Twirling the pencil between his fingers.

"What's the plan to get Elijah back from Marcel ?" Rebekah insisted, frowning. "It's hard to believe that he and Caroline are our enemies now."

"Well, firstly, Marcel is not my mortal enemy—he's my son, albeit one who is unaware that I'm trying to sabotage his hold over the supernatural community of the French Quarter, and win back his mother but a son nonetheless. Secondly, Caroline is not my enemy. She has never been an enemy to me and she never will be. She is my wife." Klaus said strongly. "And thirdly, I daggered Elijah in order to gain Marcel's trust. If I had known he would place our brother in the hands of a particularly nasty teenage witch, I certainly would have weighed my options a bit differently. And fourthly, sister, please." he dropped the pencil onto the desk.

"I know the plan isn't just to simply ask Marcel for Elijah back." Rebekah insisted. "What diabolical back up plan do you have in the works."

"War," Klaus smirked folding his hands together, his eyes shining with mirth.

* * *

Marcel stood getting fitted for his suit, accompanied by Thierry and Caroline was seated in a chair, flipping through a clipboard.

"Damn, I do look good in a suit," he said, looking at himself through a mirror.

Thierry chuckled.

"You always do," Caroline didn't bother looking up from her clipboard.

"Have you been fitted for your dress?" Marcel asked glancing at his mother curiously.

She looked up from her book. "The party is tonight. Of course, I have a dress already and I look amazing in it."

Marcel grinned. "I'm sure you do. Are you bringing David?"

"Are you bringing that bartender?" Caroline asked avoiding the question.

"Her name's Cami," Marcel told her pointedly.

"I don't much care what her name is." As far as Caroline was concerned no one was good enough for her boy. Especially not some human bartender.

Marcel shook his head, he knew her protectiveness came from a good place. "You didn't answer my question."

"Depends rather or not Klaus will be there or not," Caroline responded. "I'm not about to get him on Klaus's radar." She could always just show up at his place later. He wouldn't mind.

Thierry turned to the television when it caught his focus showing photos of a girl, Tina McGreevy and a guy, Joshua Rosza. "My guy at the docks is gonna come forward as an eyewitness, saying he saw those two drunkenly fall into the Mississippi. They'll be dredging for weeks. No one will come looking around here."

"That's good, considering one's dead in a dumpster behind the county morgue and the other one is a vampire now," Marcel commented. "Anything else?"

"Ow!" The Tailor exclaimed suddenly, having accidentally pricked her finger with her needle, drawing blood.

"Allow me, darling." Marcel crouched down, taking her finger into his mouth, cleaning it of blood.

Caroline raised one perfect eyebrow at him before returning to her clipboard and the extensive guest list.

"One thing. I sent 4 nightwalkers to look into a werewolf sighting in the Quarter. I haven't heard from them since." said Thierry.

"That makes 10 dead nightwalkers in the last week. You think the werewolves are back in town trying to start some trouble?" Marcel wondered.

Caroline scoffed. "I don't think it's a coincidence that our nightwalkers started dropping like flies right after Klaus arrives in town."

"Now, now, love. I know you're angry with me but that's no reason to throw around false accusations." Klaus' voice sounded announcing his arrival.

Caroline dropped her clipboard to her lap, scowling. "What are you doing here?"

"I want to see my son." He responded.

Caroline scoffed. "Like I would believe that was your only reason for being here."

"Well, the more obvious reason for being here is you."

Caroline glared, she rose from her seat and move toward her son. "I'll see you tonight. Don't let him drag you into trouble." she leaned up kissing his cheek before brushing coldly past Klaus.

Klaus turned watching her go.

"I see you've given him free rein of your compound now, too," Thierry said to Marcel making his opinion on the matter evident.

Klaus turned back at his comment, he stepped toward Thierry aggressively. "Yes. Well, seeing as my family and I lived here, built the place, in fact—"

"All right. Come on." Marcel stepped in between them. "You both know the drill. Thierry's my guy, inner circle. Klaus is my old-time friend and he was like a father to me. He's also a guest here. Peace, all right? All right." he focused his attention more on Klaus. "What do you need?"

"I'm afraid my sister Rebekah is insisting I demand Elijah's return. She's quite worked up about it." Klaus stated.

"I'll say," Marcel replied remembering his encounter with her in the Quarter.

"We're not gonna have Three Originals walking around town, are we?" Theirry hated that they were here. "Half our guys think the sister killed the nightwalkers."

"Is that an accusation against an Original?" Klaus demanded at Theirry's audacity to accuse him when he was right there.

"Eh." Thierry shrugged, he stood straighter as Klaus stormed over toward him, he was ready for a confrontation, he wasn't going to back down just because he was Klaus Mikaelson.

However, Marcel interceded not wanting things to escalate further. "What did I say about peace?" he reminded looking from Klaus to Theirry and back to Klaus. "Come on," he said to Klaus. "Walk with me."

Klaus sent Thierry a smug smile as he allowed Marcel to steer him out of the room.

"Your inner circle man lacks a sense of humor," Klaus commented as they walked out along the balcony of the building.

"He's a little overprotective but loyal to a fault. I saved his life back in the forties, found him dying of a war wound outside a VA hospital. He'd kill for me and die for me." Marcel stated. He trusted Thierry more than he did most. "Plus, that boy can play the trumpet like you would not believe. Maybe I'll see if he can play a little tonight at the party. You're coming, right?

"How can I miss my chance to meet the city councilman as he accepts your gigantic charitable donation?" Klaus responded almost mockingly.

"Oh, he's a schmuck," Marcel said dismissively. "but he lets us do our thing in exchange for certain community services, like keeping our fangs out of the locals."

"I know your mother is planning this party but will she be attending?" Klaus asked him tentatively.

Marcel looked at him consideringly for a moment. "She'll be there, however, I can't promise she'll be very welcoming to you."

"If I gave up so easily on your mother we never would have been together," Klaus responded, remembering a time when he first met his beautiful Caroline and she had wanted nothing to do with the strange man who had taken a sudden interest in her.

Marcel had been told the story of how his mother met Klaus when he was still just a boy. However, he imagined it would be a whole lot harder the second time around for Klaus to win Caroline over. "Listen, about your brother... I would love to help you out, but Thierry is right. My guys are on edge. They see the Original family moving in, vampires dying, it makes them nervous. If I hand Elijah back now, it might give the wrong impression about who's really in charge here. You know what I mean?"

Klaus nodded, forcing a smile. "You understand I had to ask."

* * *

"No, that needs to be moved more to the left," Caroline ordered. "My left not your left." She resisted to her eyes in annoyances.

"Bossy as usual."

Caroline turned scowling. "Don't you ever leave."

"You want me to leave?" asked Klaus.

"Yes." was Caroline's immediate response.

"Then come with me." Klaus stepped forward. "Hell, I'd leave New Orleans if you would just come with me." He wanted New Orleans but he wanted Caroline more.

Marcel could have it as long as he got Caroline.

Caroline scoffed. "I would _never_ leave town with you."

"Then I'll be sticking around indefinitely," Klaus responded.

Caroline groaned turning away from him calling out to a vampire across the room. "Hey, Jesse, make sure the bar is stocked."

"Will you have a date to tonight's events?" Klaus asked moving around, placing himself back in her sights.

"If that is your way of asking to be my plus one the answer is a firm 'No.'" She glared up at him.

"That still doesn't answer the question." Klaus persisted.

"It's none of your business if I do or not!" she snapped.

Klaus's eyes narrowed. "As long as there's something between us it is my business."

"But there isn't anything between us anymore." Caroline countered defiantly.

Klaus stepped into her personal space, looming over her, his hand reached out, his thumb brushing across her jaw. "There is always going to be something between us as long as you feel something for me."

Caroline suppressed a shiver at his touch, her eyes hardening. "The only thing I feel for you is hate."

Klaus cupped her cheek, his other hand reaching out to grip her shoulder, and pulled her close until she was pressed against him. "There's a very thin line between love and hate, love."

Caroline glared. "Maybe but there's hate then there's _hate_ and I hate you. If you just left, vanished, disappeared, I wouldn't even blink. I could care less what happens to you or your family so tell me where is the love in that?"

Klaus's hands fell away, her harsh words and scornful look searing into him like a flame licking at his skin, leaving its mark.

Caroline pushed away from him, thinking, finally she had gotten through to him. "The sooner you let go of the past and move on the better because I already have."

Klaus watched her turn, walking away from him, a tightening in his chest, feeling the gap, the distance between them grow deeper and deeper with every harsh word, every scornful look shared between them.

* * *

Rebekah walked through the Quarter, her cell pressed to her ear. "Niklaus, for the love of Mary Magdalene, how long does it take to ask a simple question?" Rebekah demanded impatiently.

 _"Much longer than you'd think, considering the answer was, as expected, "no". Marcel's man, Thierry, is suspicious._ " Klaus informed her. " _He thinks you killed 10 nightwalkers."_

"Well, that's a lie. I only killed 8." Rebekah replied like that made all the difference. "Should I make Thierry the ninth?"

 _"Marcel is playing friendly. Caroline is being scornful. We can't kill the favorite son, or Marcel will catch onto us and it'll be just another thing my wife will hold against me."  
_  
"So, war it is, then," said Rebekah knowingly.

" _Indeed. Do you know what to do with the witch_?" Klaus asked.

"I believe I do," said Rebekah.

 _"Good. You manage Sophie Deveraux. I'll take care of the next step._ " Klaus hung up and turned to the newly turned vampire Joshua who had been keeping an eye on Klaus's vampire hostage he had in his cellar. "I ordered you to drain him of blood. What's taking so long?"

"Sorry. I'm not, like, medieval torture expert guy." Joshua felt absurd even having to apologize for not being evil enough for Klaus's liking

Klaus snatched up a pitchfork and ran the vampire through with it, the vampire groaned in pain, his head falling back before falling down to his chest.

Joshua grimaced. "What did he do to you, anyway?"

"It's not about what he did." he pulled the pitchfork from his body. "It's about what he's going to do when we're done here, which is whatever I want him to, just like you." he turned, locking eyes with Josh, compelling him. "For example, drive this through his torso." he handed the weapon over.

Joshua accepted it and immediately impaled the vampire once again. "That is crazy." Josh's eyes widened. "I didn't want to do it, but I did it anyway."

"It's called mind compulsion. Vampires can compel humans. Originals, like my siblings and I, can also compel vampires, and no one can compel Originals." Klaus explained. "You following?"

Joshua nodded.

"Good." Klaus continued, he didn't have the time nor the patience to have to explain it twice. "That is how a brand-new nightwalker such as yourself is here doing my bidding with no one the wiser."

Joshua brow furrowed. "But I never had my guts drained out of me." he pointed out.

"Yes. That, young Joshua, is because I got to you before you had even a drop of herbal vervain in your system. You see, it prevents compulsion." Klaus told him. "Marcel has had his whole crew taking it since I returned to town, and that is why our friend here needs to be bled dry of it, so I can compel him to follow my every command. And with my brother currently in captivity awaiting rescue, we can't afford to be gentle about it, can we?" Klaus ripped the pitchfork from the vampire and ran him through again, twisting it.

The vampire groaned lowly in pain, head hanging in defeat.

* * *

Rebekah waited outside the French Quarter shop, Jardin Gris, impatiently at the sound of approaching footsteps she turned to greet the late arrival. "Oh, so glad you could make it. Elijah only lies daggered and rotting whilst you dilly-dally."

"You're lucky I came at all." Sophie countered, glaring. "What do you want?"

"Hayley was attacked last night by Marcel's crew because somebody told him there was a werewolf in the Quarter. She only made one stop." Rebekah gaze drifted pointedly to the storefront they were in front of. "Whoever saw her here ratted her out. Watch and learn."

Rebekah turned, walking into the shop like she owned it. Sophie reluctantly followed her.

A young woman emerged from the back room carrying a box. "Hey, Soph." she greeted catching sight of the brunette witch.

"Hey, Katie." Sophie returned slightly distracted as she watched Rebekah touching an item hanging in the shop.

The woman, Katie, looked toward Rebekah not recognizing her for the dangerous Original she was. "That's filled with marigold—great for attracting the opposite sex. It would look awesome on you."

"I very seriously doubt that." Rebekah scoffed and she had no problem attracting men. "Tell me do you make it a habit of talking with werewolves or turning them in for that matter?"

"Werewolves?" Katie repeated. "Why would you want to know about werewolves? There are no wolves in the Quarter."

Rebekah spun around, speeding in front of Katie grabbing her by the throat. "Please do not play dumb with me." She slammed her down against a table.

Katie gasped was cut off by Rebekah's tight grip on her throat.

"Rebekah!" Sophie exclaimed.

"I just answered some werewolf girls questions. That's all. She's the only werewolf in the Quarter. I warned her it wasn't a good place for her."

"Are you lying to me, Katie? I suggest you answer my question honestly." Rebekah tightened her hand around her throat.

"Sophie—" Katie choked out, a plea for help.

"Just answer the question, Katie, please." Sophie urged.

"Yes. I told someone, but you don't understand. I—I love him." Katie gasped.

Rebekah threw Katie down to the floor violently, lifting her foot she placed the heel of her stiletto directly over Katie's throat threateningly. "And tell me, who is this vampire Romeo of yours?" when Katie said nothing Rebekah's eyes narrowed. "Shall I count to 3?"

* * *

Klaus pulled the pitchfork out of the vampire and handed it to Joshua. "Be quick about it. I have an army to build, and one compelled minion does not an army make."

His phone buzzed in his pocket and he fished it out, answering it. "Well?"

" _You were right about the traitor_ ," Rebekah informed him. _"Luckily, she's just a kid and she doesn't know anything about us and what we're up to. Do you want to hear the part that's gonna please you the most?"  
_  
"Oh, do tell," Klaus smirked, interested in what new information Rebekah had for him.

 _"She's in love with someone in Marcel's inner circle. Guess who it is_?"

Klaus could hear the smirk in his sister's voice.

"Right-hand-man type, favors silly caps?" Klaus ventured a guess.

" _Two points for you_." Rebekah quipped. " _Thierry is fraternizing with the enemy._ "

"Well, that means he just unwittingly became the key to our entire plan," Klaus responded, thoughts whirling on all the ways he could use this to his advantage.

 _"I told you you'd be pleased_ ," said Rebekah, proud of what she had managed to find out.

"Oh, to be young and in love in a city where witches and vampires are at war," Klaus smirked, something a mix of dark and mischievous all at once. "How very tragic."

* * *

"Are you out of your mind?" Sophie demanded, looking at Rebekah and Klaus like they were crazy. "No way."

The three were in the Mikaelson study. Rebekah and Klaus had come up with a plan to find Elijah without Marcel and Caroline being any the wiser.

"It's very simple. We need you to perform a teeny, tiny locator spell to help us find our brother." Rebekah said simply. It wasn't like they were asking for a whole lot. Just one little locator spell.

"Witches who practice magic in this town get caught, and they get killed." Sophie glared. It was why her sister has been killed.

"Yes, about that." Klaus narrowed his eyes accusingly on the witch. "It seems you left out a crucial detail when we made our deal—Marcel's secret weapon, the way he knows when a witch is using magic."

"Girl about yay high, cute as a button, anger issues," said Rebekah, describing what she could recall of the young witch.

Sophie's eyes widened. "Davina? Where have you seen her?"

"I don't know. The little brat erased my memory right after she threw me out a window with her bloody mind." Rebekah glared at the memory of a teenage girl handling her so easily.

"Let me cut to the chase." Klaus cut in growing impatient. "Davina has Elijah. You witches, I assume, want to get Davina away from Marcel. We don't know where she is. Ergo, we need magic."

"Davina would sense it," Sophie said in rejection to their plan.

"Unless, of course, another witch—say, a traitor to the cause, Katie for example—was to perform much more powerful magic at the same time. That would create a smokescreen, concealing your very small spell from Davina." Klaus explained the plan.

"Katie doesn't deserve to die." Sophie protested.

"Sophie Deveraux." Klaus angrily slammed his hands on the table, standing up, glaring at the witch in annoyance. "You're in no position to be so principled. You can't win a war without a few strategic losses, no matter how regrettable they may be. How many times have the vampires been one step ahead, known something they shouldn't? Your sister, executed in the public square for practicing magic, who knew she'd be caught? Did she even attempt to flee?"

"She was caught hiding in a cargo hold of a freighter before it set sail down the Mississippi," replied Sophie, her jaw clenching.

"And who, pray tell, of Marcel's valued inner circle manages his business at the docks?" asked Klaus leadingly.

Sophie looked at them, her gaze hardening as she reluctantly answered. "Katie's boyfriend, Thierry." she sighed in agreement, feeling like she was already going to regret this. "Who's going to make Marcel and Caroline stay out of this?"

"Well, Cami will keep Caroline distracted," Klaus stated. "If I know her like I know do, she won't be too fond of her simply because of Marcel's interest in her and I will keep Marcel busy in the meantime as to not raise suspicion."

"Sounds like a great plan," Sophie muttered sarcastically, glaring at the two Originals who looked rather pleased with themselves.

* * *

Klaus looked down from the courtyard balcony with Marcel as Thierry played his trumpet in the courtyard.

"You're right," Klaus admitted. "He's good."

"Right?" Marcel grinned. "Music man, I call him. Ladies love him, but he's spoken for. He knocks around with this pretty little witch, says he loves her, but I don't know."

"Your brightest soldier is fraternizing with your enemy, and you don't care," Klaus commented, letting his tone take on a more judgmental note.

"Well, of course, I care, but Thierry is a grown man. He makes his own choices, and I get some good intel." Marcel responded, not to mention he trusted Thierry. "Besides, he's not gonna do anything to jeopardize what we're doing here. I mean, check this out—a vampire hosting a ritzy charity event. We have a community here. No one's gonna mess that up."

"Still... You don't want the witches to get too bold, given that a witch's tip about a werewolf in town led to the disappearance of your nightwalkers. I'm sure you've considered the possibility that it could've been a trap." Klaus reasoned, wanting to plant the seed of doubt.

"Well, maybe I'll send a little message," said Marcel. "Thierry!" he called down to his friend. "Take a team of nightwalkers to the Cauldron tonight, do a little rousting... Oh, and Thierry? Make it nasty."

Thierry's eyes slid to Klaus accusingly but he nodded.

Klaus resisted the urge to smirk until Caroline walked into the courtyard with the same woman she was always with when he saw her. Tanned skin, dark hair, green eyes, curvy. "Who is that always with Caroline?"

"That would be Silvi. She Caroline's closest friend and confidant." Marcel answered. "Caroline turned her in the 1920s, took her under her wing, the two have been inseparable ever since."

Klaus tilted his head watching as Caroline laughed at something the brunette said and as if sensing his gaze, he could see Caroline tense just moments before she turned, looking up at him, meeting his gaze head-on.

Caroline's lips tugged into a scowl at the sight of him, she turned to Silvi. "Wait, here."

Caroline made her way up the stairs and walked up to Marcel, greeted him by kissing his cheek. "What are you two discussing so seriously that has Thierry displeased?"

"Just planning a little rousting for the witch Cauldron," Marcel answered. "Sending a little message."

"Uh-huh." she turned to Klaus. "Don't you have anywhere else to be or can I expect your new past time is corrupting my son to do your bidding?"

"I was just advising him how to keep his people in line and his hold on the city intact," Klaus responded with false innocence.

"He doesn't need your advice." Caroline scoffed. "He knows what he's doing."

Klaus chose to ignore her words. "It never hurts to have a little help from someone who's been around for 1000 years."

Caroline glared. "He has help from me, I may not be a thousand years old like you but I have enough years that he doesn't need advice from you and if he was smart like I know him to be he wouldn't listen to single a word you say."

"Alright," Marcel cut in gently, seeing how just seeing Klaus seemed to upset her. "Did you and Silvi have a good time? Diego said you were getting her a dress for tonight's event?"

Caroline's eyes softened when she turned her gaze back to her son. "Yes, well, I can't have my plus one lacking in proper attire." She cast another glare to Klaus before focusing on Marcel. "Don't let him talk you into doing something you'll regret."

"Of course," Marcel responded.

"Good." Caroline turned, patting his arm and then called to Silvi. "Let's retire to my room, I have a necklace that is going to look great with that dress."

Klaus' eyes followed her as she faded from sight with the other woman, he sighed, turning back to his son. "Being on the wrong side of your mother is never pleasant."

Marcel snorted. "Try being the one stuck in the middle between the two of you. It's tiring."

Klaus eyes slowly looked to the direction Caroline went, sighing to himself again. Hopefully, when he saw her at the party tonight he'd be able to make some kind of leeway with her.

Any kind of progress would be welcomed. Hell, he would be happy to just get one smile from her instead of her constant glares and biting words.

* * *

When Rebekah walked into Rousseau's zeroing in on her target immediately. The blonde bartender was more than happy to listen to her problems like any cliche bartender. Rebekah barely refrained from rolling her eyes. What Marcel saw in the plain Jane human she didn't know.

"And so then I moved back here to be closer to my brothers because—let's face it—family's important, right, Camille?" She was careful to keep her fake smile in place.

"Cami." The other woman corrected. "I have to change this name tag. Drunk guys keep hitting on me in French. You sure you haven't been in here before?" Cami gaze looked at Rebekah, traveling over her features. "Your face looks so familiar."

"You must have seen me out and about." Rebekah dismissed. "Aren't you dating Marcel Gerard? He's a pal of mine... sort of. I heard he had a crush on the blonde bartender at Rousseau's."

"I would hardly call it dating." Cami denied with a barely-there smile. "He's wooing me... sort of. I don't know. I mean, he's very charming, which probably means I should run for the hills."

"I'm kind of in an on-again/off-again thing myself at the moment," Rebekah confessed, fighting her annoyance of just hearing Cami talk about Marcel.

"Those are the worst, aren't they?" asked Cami conversationally. "The ones you can't shake, even though you know better, and you always know better?"

"I like you, Cami." The lie came easily to Rebekah as she offered up another false smile. "Most girls have the unfortunate tendency of being whiny little twits."

"Thanks…" Cami's brow furrowed. "I think."

"Hey, I'm supposed to go to this posh charity thing thrown by this philanthropist tonight. He's a bit of a Gatsby, throws a mean party. Any interest?" asked Rebekah with false friendliness.

Cami smiled noncommittally, shrugging.

Rebekah watched the blonde carefully, eyes narrowing. Cami better go or they were going to have to find another way to keep Marcel and Caroline distracted.

* * *

Klaus sat at his desk sifting through some papers when his phone started buzzing next to him, Rebekah's name flashing across the screen. He answered it; placing his phone against his ear. "Little sister."

" _Well, brother, I believe I've made certain Marcel will be properly distracted tonight_ ," Rebekah informed him.

"Good. That just leaves Caroline." Klaus responded.

" _She's your wife_ ," Rebekah stated. " _I'll leave that to you. I did my bit. What are you doing to ensure Elijah's safe return?"  
_  
"Currently, I'm preparing insurance against the tender-hearted," Klaus said in answer to her question.

" _Meaning_?" Asked Rebekah inquiringly.

"We need proper motivation for Katie to cast a powerful spell tonight. I'm creating that motivation. Marcel has ordered a rousting of the witches." he informed her.

* * *

Vampires jump from the balconies causing mayhem as they tore through the shops in the Cauldron, the sound of witches screams filling the air.

* * *

 _"And I, in turn, have arranged for things to go tragically wrong,_ " Klaus spoke.

* * *

 _"You understand what you're to do?" Klaus stood in front of the vampire he had strung up in his cellar and the vampire nodded._

 _"Good," Klaus answered._

 _Josh stood off to the side, watching the exchange easily.  
_

* * *

Back at the Cauldron, vampires continue to upturn tables and destroy things while witches screamed in fear.

Thierry snuck away from nightwalkers through a backdoor into Jardin Gris.

Katie ran to him when she caught sight of him, throwing her arms around his neck and pressed her lips against his only to pull back seconds later. "Hey! What's happening out there?"

"Oh, it's Klaus." he turned away from her to a shelf of glass jars, trinkets, and herbs. "He's convinced Marcel that the witches are planning to make a move against him. Marcel wants us to send a message…" he knocked over some of the shelves sending them crashing and looking at her apologetically. "And if he thought I was playing favorites because I'm in love with a witch—"

"Say that again." Katie interrupted stunned and happy to hear him say he loved her.

"I love you, Katie," he repeated sincerely with feeling. "And all this is gonna be okay, I promise."

* * *

 _"Marcel may not be concerned with Thierry's romantic entanglements..._ " Klaus mused.

* * *

Thierry walked out of the Jardin Gris, bumping into the same vampire that Klaus held captive in his cellar, torturing, draining him of vervain and compelled.

"I already got that one," Thierry told the vampire, walking away.

The vampire, however, didn't listen and went into the shop anyway.

* * *

 _Klaus leaned back in his chair as his desk, speaking into his phone. "But there are other crimes which he'll be less inclined to so easily forgive…"_

* * *

Thierry heard a scream from inside the Jardin Gris and turned to see the vampire dragging Katie outside, biting into her neck as she screamed, crying out.

"Leave her alone!" Thierry shouted, running toward her. "Get off!" He threw the vampire across the courtyard; making him smash into a table.

Thierry ran over to him, grabbing a broken table leg, and used it as a stake, driving it through the vampire's heart, killing him.

The courtyard fell silent, the other vampires circle around the scene of the crime, Thierry looked around, realizing what he had just done. He had broken one of Marcel's rules.

* * *

 _"Killing a vampire, for example," Klaus spoke into the phone leadingly. "That would be unforgivable. If Katie hopes to save her one true love from Marcel's punishment, well, a rescue mission like that will require something positively magical. But then... what's worth dying for, if not love?" his lips pulled into a smirk._

* * *

At the Cauldron, Katie stared at Thierry, horrified, and Thierry himself looked like he knew the consequences would be dire for him once Marcel learned what he had done.

* * *

Rebekah and Klaus entered the party, arm in arm, taking in the dark, wild atmosphere. Acrobats perform, dancers handle exotic animals, and confetti fell glittering upon the party guests.

"Well, this certainly is a fitting backdrop for tonight's events, I must say," Klaus commented, he didn't really want to think about how upset Caroline would be when her hard work for arranging tonight's events was ruined.

Rebekah and Klaus spotted Cami as she entered the party, wearing white angel's wings and a vintage white beaded dress. Rebekah and Klaus both were pleased with her arrival.

"What made you think of using her to distract Marcel?" Klaus asked looking away from Cami and scanning the crowd in search of Caroline.

He couldn't spot her but he did notice her friend Silvi at the bar.

"What better way to distract Marcel than to put his very human, new girl in a room chock full of vampires?" Rebekah responded, crossing the courtyard to greet Cami. "Hello, darling. You look precious."

* * *

Caroline's eyes had narrowed when she saw Cami walk in. "Did you invite her tonight?"

"No," Marcel answered from beside her. "But she's here so please try and be nice."

Caroline turned her gaze to him. "You want me to be nice to someone I don't even like?"

"You just don't like her because of my interest in her." Marcel shot her a knowing look. "You don't like anyone I'm interested in."

"That's because they are not good enough for you," Caroline responded.

"You don't even know her," Marcel responded. "How can you possibly know that?"

"Because no one will ever be good enough for my son," Caroline said with absolute certainty.

Marcel gave an amused chuckle, leaning over to press a quick kiss to her cheek. "I love you, too, Mom."

Caroline shot him a smile patting his cheek affectionately before turning her gaze back down below watching as Cami seemed to stare transfixed at Klaus.

"C'mon, I rather Rebekah didn't corrupt Cami." Marcel headed down the stairs, linking arms with his mother.

"To corrupt someone, they have to be innocent and I doubt your new girl is as innocent as you want to believe," Caroline said earning her a look from Marcel but she didn't care. He wanted her to be nice, fine but she had her opinions and she wasn't in the habit of keeping them to herself.

* * *

"This party is ridiculous, but I think I.." Cami trailed off lowly. "with this dress." she locked eyes with Klaus, staring at him a moment and nodding toward him. "Is he the infamous on-again/off-again?" Cami asked Rebekah.

Klaus approached them and answered before Rebekah could. "He's the brother, actually."

"You clean up pretty well." Cami complimented.

"Well, don't be fooled, love." Klaus' lips tugged up into a smirk. "I'm the devil in disguise."

"You two chit-chat. I need booze." Rebekah ditched them heading for the bar.

"Shall we?" asked Klaus.

"Okay." Cami agreed and Klaus offer his arm to her and she accepted it with a smile.

"Scotch, please," Rebekah ordered when she reached the bar.

Marcel approached Rebekah at the bar, Caroline on his arm and she sighed at the sight of them. Not wanting to deal with either of them separated let alone the two of them together.

"You trying to be cute, inviting her here?" Marcel demanded as Caroline moved away from him to lean against the bar, motioning for the bartender for two more scotches.

"I think she's darling. I can tell you fancy her pure heart. Perhaps I'll feed it to you." Rebekah responded.

"Now, there's a thought," Caroline said accepting the scotches earning a glare from Marcel.

"I take it you're not fond of her?" Rebekah asked Caroline.

"You can say that." Caroline turned her gaze to Rebekah nodding at her. "'Bekah." she turned, her eyes scanning the bar and landing on Silvi talking to a group of men in suits.

"Hmm. Jealousy looks good on you, Bekah." Marcel commented, moving closer to her.

Caroline glanced out the corner of her eye and resisted the urge to sigh. Marcel and Rebekah were a roller coaster, she had hoped her son had learned from the past but watching them together she wasn't so sure. "If you'll excuse me." she headed toward her friend.

"Where have you been?" Silvi asked waving the men away.

"Around." Caroline sipped at her scotch. "I see you're working your charm already."

Silvi grinned. "I can't help it if men take notice when a beautiful woman is in the room."

Caroline laughed. "Men can't help but notice beautiful women."

"Speaking of men I see that Klaus is here," Silvi commented. "With the bartender no less. How do you feel about that?"

Caroline's eyes narrowed on her friend. "Is this your way of trying to find out if I have any lingering feelings for Klaus because I refuse to talk more about him?"

"Nooo." Silvi dragged the word out unable to keep a straight face and Caroline snorted.

"I don't care if she takes an interest in him but if she hurts Marcel she will regret it."

"Always such a mama bear. You do know he's a grown man, right?"

"I'm aware but he'll always be my son first," Caroline responded unapologetically, her eyes sliding back toward Rebekah and Marcel.

* * *

Across the courtyard, Cami watched Rebekah with Marcel, looking uncertain.

"The guy of hers Rebekah was talking about... I'm sensing that would be Marcel." She commented.

"I wouldn't worry about it. Ancient history." Klaus told her.

"And what of the other blonde?" she wondered. "They're always together."

Klaus laughed out loud, the thought of Caroline and Marcel absurd.

"What's so funny?" Cami asked.

"There is nothing romantic between Caroline and Marcel," he assured her.

"How can you be so sure?" Cami wondered. "I mean, she's beautiful and he's charming and they're always at each other's side."

"For one their family and secondly, Caroline is _my_ wife."

Cami eyes widened. "I wasn't aware you were married."

Klaus gave a wry smile. "She seems to forget it herself. It's complicated."

"It sounds it." Cami shook her head ruefully. "I'm beginning to think your sister is a bit of a bitch."

Klaus laughed. "It's as though she invented the term."

Cami gazed at Klaus, being drawn in by the sound of his laugh.

However his focus wasn't on her, he saw Marcel getting ready to approach them, his eyes on Cami. "Listen. Pardon me for a moment." he excused himself, walking away from her.

"Cami." Marcel greeted, flashing her his charming smile.

"Hey. Killer party," she commented in return.

"Oh, it's more of a work thing. And all the credit goes to Caroline." Marcel dismissed. "I would've invited you—"

"Oh, no." Cami interrupted with a small smile. "We've been on one date. No explanation necessary. You do your thing, I'll entertain myself."

"What, leave you alone, looking the way you do?" He grinned, widely looking her over with appreciation. "Hell with that."

* * *

Caroline was in the middle of talking to one of the city officials when she felt Silvi tug on her arm, she turned questioning eyes on her.

"Incoming." Silvi nodded to her right and she turned to see Klaus approaching her.

Caroline sighed. "Silvi would you mind taking Mr. Sawyer to get a drink and taking over explaining why it's good for not only the city but all of New Orleans to maintain an arrangement that benefits us all."

Silvi smiled charmingly at Mr. Sawyer her hand smoothing up and down his arm and flashing one of her irresistible smiles. "I'd love to, it helps that the company leaves nothing to be desired."

Flattered and enchanted by Silvi Mr. Sawyer offered his arm to her. "Has anyone ever told you how beautiful you look tonight,"

"Yes, but it never hurts to hear it again." Silvi looked up at him from beneath dark lashes.

Caroline watched Silvi lead Mr. Sawyer over to the bar just in time for Klaus to reach her. "It looks like Marcel stole your date." she glanced toward her son where he was talking to the bartender who she didn't believe was worth the time her son was so set on spending with her.

Klaus's gaze narrowed. "She's not my date."

Caroline hummed uncaringly turning her focus on Marcel watching as he pulled Cami into his arms for a dance.

"I see you don't have one either." Klaus pointed out, stepping closer to her. "Let me buy you a drink."

"No." Caroline shot him a glare before walking away from him, wanting distance between them.

Klaus watched her go, his hands clenching in frustration. God, that woman drove him crazy when she wouldn't even spend two minutes in his company.

* * *

Caroline couldn't help the scowl that graced her beautiful features watching Marcel dance with Cami. She firmly believed he could do better than the bartender and getting mix up with your average human in this city was a disaster waiting to happen.

She didn't want him getting hurt, but it was his life and he could make his own choices. There was only so much she could do to protect his heart especially when he was so insistent in giving it to those who don't deserve it, who didn't deserve his affection.

She felt him at her back before she heard his voice, always so aware when he was near. Guess that was what 800 years of being with someone would do for you.

"Always so protective over him after all this time, love? Don't you think it's about time you let him live his life."

Caroline glared at him over her shoulder. "I do let him live his life. He makes his own choices but that doesn't mean I have to approve or like them. And secondly, you're one to talk. You were the same way with Rebekah and I'm willing to bet you still are that way about her."

Klaus knew she was right and chose not to comment further. "Dance with me."

Caroline shot him a glare. "Dancing with you is the last thing I want to do."

Klaus rolled his eyes and wrapped his arm around her waist. "It's just one dance."

Caroline grumbled as he pulled her out onto the dance floor, placing his hand on her lower back, pushing her against his body, until there was barely any space between them. Caroline reluctantly set her hand on his shoulder, her other hand clasp in his, fingers intertwining. "Last I check there's no need to dance this close."

Klaus leaned in his lips brushing against the shell of her ear. "We always used to dance this close."

Caroline pulled back, glaring. "That was then, this is now."

Klaus hummed, his eyes looking into hers with a challenge. "I don't see you pulling away. You want to be close to me just as much as I want to be close to you."

Caroline scoffed. "Keep telling yourself that." her eyes looked past him to her son. Now that they were on the dance floor she could see his every expression as he talked to Camille and she was determined to read his every expression just to see how serious he was about the bartender.

Their voices drifted over to her, distracted with listening, she didn't protest when Klaus's hand slid slow on her hip, his fingers flexing against her, digging into the thin fabric of her dress.

"I thought you said you were in community work." Cami looked at Marcel inquiringly.

"Community fundraising. Throw a party, folks open their wallets. No one throws a better party than Caroline and no one is more charming than me. It's kind of our thing." he said. "Guess I'm what you call a necessary evil."

"Caroline?" Cami repeated. "You're almost always together." she paused, staring up at him. "I'm not stepping on any toes here am I?"

Marcel gave a laugh. "While it's true Caroline and I are together a lot it's not in the sense you're thinking. Caroline, she's my family. She's like a..mo-" he paused, hesitated and then said. "Sister. She's like a sister to me."

Marcel had been so close to revealing how he saw Caroline as his mother, but Cami would never be able to truly understand that. Not when Caroline looked even younger than her by a few years.

"Like she could step on my toes." Caroline scoffed, the very thought of her son like that enough to make bile turn in her stomach and the thought of someone choosing the bartender over her was laughable. "Like any man in his right mind would choose her over me."

"Is that your dislike for her talking or are you just that self-assured about yourself?" Klaus said, eyes shining in amusement with her obvious dislike.

"Both." Her eyes returned to him. "Are you saying you would choose someone like her over me?"

Klaus's hand on her hip tightened before it slid up her back over her shoulder slowly over her neck until he was cupping her jaw, his fingers buried in her blonde hair, his thumb sliding against her cheek. "I would never choose anyone over you. _No one._ "

Caroline stared into his eyes drawn in by the intense blue gaze, the passion in his words and how sincere and honest he sounded, she faltered for a moment, her body leaning into his, her hand tightening on his shoulder. "Klaus."

Klaus's gaze drifted to her mouth and his thumb swipe over her bottom lip.

The touch of his thumb to her mouth was like a shock to her system, she pulled back, his hand falling from her face with the action. " _Don't._ You don't get to look at me like that. You don't get to say things like that to me anymore and you certainly don't get to touch me like that."

Klaus clenched his jaw, his eyes darkening. "Do I at least get to finish this dance?" Klaus figured he pushed her enough as it was but he had got a glimpse of what he needed to know.

He needed to know if he still had the effect on her that she clearly had on him and he got his answer. The way she said his name, how her body leaned into his, how her gaze was captured by his own. Her body's reaction to his. She could deny there being nothing left between them all she wanted but it was nothing but a lie.

It was more apparent to him than ever that what was between them was still there and always would be.

Caroline hesitated but after a moment she grabbed his hand and set it on her waist, continuing to move with him, she avoided his gaze by turning her focus back to observing her son.

"And Rebekah, she's one of your donors?" Cami questioned Marcel uncertainly.

"She's an old friend," Marcel answered.

"Can't be that old," said Cami. "She looks younger than me."

"You'd be surprised," Marcel told her. "I was a kid when I met her. Enough about her. I just want to be right here with you."

Diego walked into the courtyard, expression grave, he saw Caroline first dancing with Klaus and then Marcel with Cami, barely any space between either of the pairs.

Diego moved toward Marcel, whispering quietly into his ear.

Caroline frowned as she watched Marcel's expression changed from charming to tense in a moment's notice.

Marcel turned his head, eyes scanning the crowd until they landed on Thierry, and he clenched his jaw, barely containing his anger. "Excuse me," he told Cami not waiting for her response and walking over to Thierry.

Caroline watched as he grabbed Thierry by the throat, forcefully pushing him away from the main party. She pulled away from Klaus, not bothering saying a word to him, followed closely behind by Diego as they rejoined Marcel who was in the middle of berating Thierry.

"What the hell did you do?" Marcel demanded.

"Marcel," Caroline laid her hand on his arm, casting a glance over her shoulder where she could see Klaus and Cami watching them. "You're making a scene. I'm sure that's not something you want."

Marcel released Thierry, taking a step back.

Klaus smiled, watching the display sure his dance with Caroline came to an abrupt end but his plan was coming along as intended.

Cami watched with a disquiet expression, feeling uneasy.

* * *

"I know you think he's a monster." Katie cried to Sophie from inside a candlelit chamber.

"It doesn't matter what I think. Thierry killed another vampire. He broke Marcel's biggest rule." said Sophie, she ignored her guilt for the part she was playing in tonight's chain of events. Events that had yet to fully transpire. "You'll never see him again... unless we do something."

'"We"?" Katie repeated, looking at her in confusion.

"I want to save our people. You want to save Thierry. There's only one way we can do both." Sophie told her.

* * *

A little while later, Katie and Sophie sat out in the cemetery, arranging items for the ritual they needed.

"You ready?" Sophie asked her.

Katie answered by beginning to sprinkle sand over their tableau.

* * *

Davina had been fast asleep in her bed, when suddenly the whispers got louder, she could feel the magic in the Quarter, she thrashed for a moment before her eyes snapped open. "Marcel. Something's coming."

She rose from the bed walking over to her easel and started to draw madly, for several moments before abruptly stopping. "Magic."

* * *

Marcel had moved Thierry and his day walkers to the balcony so they could talk more privately without so many prying eyes watching them due to Caroline's urging.

"I want to hear your side of it," Marcel said, his voice held a hard edge.

"Hey, Marcel, come on-"

"Your version." Marcel cut off his protest. "Go."

Caroline set a hand on Thierry's arm. "Thierry, just tell us what happened."

Thierry nodded at her, looking from her to Marcel. "We were tossing the Cauldron. This guy, some nightwalker, he attacked Katie for no reason."

Caroline brow furrowed, she could almost picture how everything unfolded, in Thierry's eyes he was protecting his girl.

"His name was Max." Marcel ground out angrily. "I turned him, and as far as reasons go, he doesn't need one. She was a witch. He was a vampire. Now he's dead."

Caroline frowned, she didn't believe it was as black and white as her son made it sound. If never was when matters of the heart were involved. She glanced over the balcony, her eyes first landing on Cami, she looked past her to Klaus who stared up at them with a look in his eyes she was familiar with, one where everything he wanted to happen was coming along just as he planned.

She frowned deeper, suspicion nagging at her as she turned back to look at Thierry.

"I didn't mean for it to happen," said Thierry, it was just when he saw Katie in danger all he saw was red. He had to keep her safe.

"You broke my most important rule. Damn it, T." Marcel cursed, frustration growing. "How long we been friends, 70 years? I turned you into something that would never die. I gave you a gift."

"And I have been loyal to you all this time, and I still am." Thierry defended. "I'm still your friend, Marcel. I swear, that hasn't changed."

"Marcel." Caroline waited for Marcel to look at her. "Listen to him. He thought he was protecting the woman he loved."

"I know that but that doesn't excuse what he did," Marcel argued. "It doesn't change anything."

"He isn't wrong though," Caroline argued. "Thierry has always been loyal. That has to count for something."

Loyalty was a hard thing to find and Caroline didn't believe it should be just thrown away over one, emotion-fueled mistake.

* * *

Cami looked on in apprehension.

"Are you all right?" Klaus appeared at her side.

"He's got a temper, doesn't he?" she turned away from the balcony. "I guess this is the moment I remember I know better." she shook her head, disappointed in herself and walked away.

Klaus didn't have to turn to know that Joshua had walked up behind him. He reached into his coats inner pocket, withdrawing a folded piece of paper and handed it to Joshua, who pocketed it and walked away to do as he was instructed.

Klaus watched the balcony as Joshua appeared next to Marcel, handing him the slip of folded paper.

* * *

"We found this at his girl's place," Josh informed him.

Marcel looked at the paper before holding it out to Caroline. "You were saying?"

Caroline took the paper her eyes narrowing when she realized it was the daylight ring spell.

Marcel turned back to Thierry glaring. "Still my friend, huh? That's funny because it looks to me like that little witch of yours got her hands on a spell that Caroline and I keep locked away."

None of this made sense. How did Thierry even get his hands on it? Something about all this just felt off.

"Marcel, I have never seen that." Thierry protested, eyes wide.

"Shut up." Marcel snapped. "I see on your hand, you still have the daylight ring I gave you. So what would you need with the recipe for making new ones? Unless maybe you and Katie were gonna go off and start a little kingdom of your own?"

"Marcel, no." Thierry denied shaking his head.

"Here's a lesson in friendship. Friends don't lie to me, they don't break my rules, and they do not steal what is mine." Marcel said angrily. He turned away from him, taking a moment to breathe and compose himself. He looked at his mother, seeing how conflicted she look and he didn't have to ask to know she was more than hesitant to punish Thierry.

He reached out, gently taking her arm and pulling her close. "I can't let this slide."

Caroline shook her head, the spell gripped tightly in her hands. "I don't think everything is how it looks. I think you need to consider everything before making a decision."

"I have," Marcel argued. "I can't show leniency. It'll make me look weak. He has to pay for his betrayal."

Caroline pressed her lips tightly together. She didn't like this. Not one bit.

Marcel dropped his hand from her arm and turned back to Thierry. "For the crime of murdering one of his own, I sentence Thierry Vanchure to 100 years in the Garden."

Caroline blew out a breath, casting a sympathetic look toward Thierry. She couldn't shake off the feeling of how wrong this was. Her eyes drifted over the balcony. Eyes narrowing when she saw Klaus smiling up at them, her focus narrowed down to him and she heard him murmur. "And it begins…"

She clenched her jaw. He was behind this. She was sure of it. She knew he couldn't be trusted and she was right.

* * *

Sophie preparing her locator spell in the cemetery feeling a presence she looked up and saw Rebekah had shown up.

"You're doing the right thing," Rebekah assured her. "It's the only way to find Elijah."

Sophie took a deep breath, steeling herself. "I'm doing what I have to do." she started chanting and Rebekah fell silent.

* * *

Marcel grabbed his mother's arm and pulled her off to the side. "I need you to keep an eye on Cami for me while I take care of this."

Caroline glared. "Yeah, I do not want to spend any amount of time with her."

"Please," Marcel asked of her, his eyes pleading.

"I hate that look," Caroline grumbled. "You have been using it on me since you were just a boy. Fine."

Marcel nodded and kissed her cheek in thanks as he headed out with his vampires, leading Thierry out of the party.

Caroline started searching around for Cami, growing frustrated when she was unable to find the human? Had she already taken off?

Caroline spotted Silvi at the bar nursing a drink and approached her. "Have you seen that blonde bartender?"

Silvi motioned to the blonde guy behind the bar.

"No, I meant the one that caught Marcel's attention?" Caroline clarified.

"Oh, that one." Silvi nodded, sipping at her drink. "I saw her leave about 5-10 minutes ago."

Caroline nodded. Okay, so she didn't have to keep the woman occupied at all. She looked to the door debating whether she should head out and meet back up with Marcel.

"Hey, what was going on up there with Thierry? Did he really kill one of our own?" Silvi asked, placing her glass on the bar top, growing serious.

Caroline paused, looking around to see no one seemed to be paying attention to them and she moved closer to Silvi, talking quietly to Silvi explaining what had happened and her reservations about punishing Thierry because there had to be more they weren't aware of and she was sure Klaus was behind it.

* * *

Marcel and his men led Thierry out of the party and onto the street, a small crowd of the New Orleans vampires had gathered just outside.

Katie walked down the street, approaching the vampires, expression angry as she chanted.

* * *

Davina could feel more magic in the air and sketch frantically across her easel.

* * *

Thierry's eyes widened in panic when he saw his girlfriend. "Katie, no!"

"Like clockwork," said Klaus, watching from a window above smirking, waiting for events to unfold.

Katie waved her arm and a lamp's light exploded; all the vampires grab at their heads, falling down in pain.

* * *

Davina's drawing became more clear the more magic Katie used as she sketched the woman who was attacking the vampires.

* * *

Marcel alone rose back up pushing through the pain to face Katie.

Katie angry at the sight of him used more of her magic, another light exploded as she continued her advance and Marcel went down again, pain rippling through his skull.

* * *

Sophie continued to chant, concentrating hard.

"Hurry," Rebekah told her feeling a sense of urgency.

* * *

Marcel rose again despite the pain he felt in his skull, but Katie used her magic to break his bones, and he fell again, collapsing to the asphalt, shouting in pain.

* * *

"NO!" Davina shouted from her room. She lifted her hands slowly.

* * *

Marcel rose again and Katie looked at him astonished. How did he keep getting up?

"You're here to save your man. Well, come on, little girl!" Marcel taunted, feeling the strength of Davina's magic flowing through him. He growled, rushing to attack her.

Katie reacted quickly halting him with her magic before he could lay a hand on her, he fell to the ground groaning.

* * *

Davina fell to the floor, a sense of panic filling her. "Caroline!"

She concentrated hard, trying to transfer what she was feeling to Caroline to warn her.

* * *

Caroline halted her steps stunned by the sudden feeling of panic followed by a flash of Marcel in trouble. "No, Marcel!"

She sped off, desperation tearing at her heart. She had to get there. She had to protect him.

* * *

Katie lifted a wooden stake above Marcel. "Die, you son of a bitch."

"No! Katie! Don't!" Thierry shouted in horror.

The stake came down and Marcel couldn't up but suddenly there was a flash of blonde hair.

Caroline grunted as the stake pierced her skin at the same time she plunged her hand into Katie's chest, her hand wrapping around the witch's heart.

"No, Caroline!" Marcel shouted in panic.

A roar sound from nearby and suddenly Katie was being yanked back, the motion yanked her way from Caroline but she gripped the witch's heart in her hand as Katie fell to the ground.

Caroline stared at Klaus in surprise, letting Katie's heart drop to the ground.

* * *

In the cemetery, Sophie stopped her chants abruptly. "Something's wrong. Katie's magic stopped," she said looking conflicted for only a moment before pushing it away. "I can keep going."

"You can't. She'll sense it." Rebekah protested.

"No. I can find Davina. I just need another moment." Sophie insisted stubbornly.

Rebekah snatched the paper with black sand on top of it that Sophie was using and threw it aside away from the witch. "You may be willing to die to get your witch back, but if anything happens to Caroline, Klaus will kill anyone and everyone, he'll tear every soul in New Orleans apart until there is nothing left. Including his _own family_. Rescuing Elijah will be for nothing if he thinks Klaus can no longer be saved or if we're all dead. It's over. We failed."

* * *

Klaus stared at Caroline, the fear of losing her still coursing through his body. He grabbed her arms. "Sweetheart, are you alright?" he reached for the stake embedded just above her heart.

Caroline could hear the concern and worry in his voice, but she didn't care for it. How convenient of him to show up? At this exact moment?

Caroline knocked his hands away from her before his fingers could even graze the stake, taking a step back. "I don't want your concern."

Klaus brow furrowed in confusion by her harsh glare, her expression one of suspicion.

He had planned this, Caroline was sure of it but she didn't know why. If she hadn't step in would he have let Katie kill their son? Had he fallen so far to allow death to take Marcel?

"Mother!" Marcel scrambled to his feet, no longer feeling Katie's magic, his hand gripped her shoulder, turning her around to him, his eyes widening to see the stake deeply embedded in her shoulder, mere inches from her heart. His eyes snapped back to hers, realizing how close she had come to dying.

Caroline saw the fear in his eyes. "Hey, I'm okay," she reached for the stake, fingers curling around the wood and yanked it out, dropping it carelessly. "See, I'm fine." she placed a reassuring hand on Marcel's shoulder.

Marcel shook his head. "That was close. _Too close._ You shouldn't have done that."

"You were in danger. That was all that mattered." Caroline answered. Her son needed her, she had to protect him and she did.

Marcel shook his head again, stepping forward and wrapping his arms around her, needing to reassure himself that she was fine, that she was okay.

Caroline wrapped her arms around him, knowing she had scared him. She smoothed her hand up and down his back, just like she did when he was just a boy on the rare occasions when he had been scared.

"You scared me," Marcel admitted quietly, pulling back from her.

"I know," Caroline murmur moving her hand back to his shoulder and squeezing. "I'm sorry."

Klaus watched as Caroline pulled Marcel into another comforting hug and he felt his stomach twist in jealousy. The easy affection between them. The way Caroline accepted his concern and the way she was so open with Marcel, nothing but loving and caring.

Marcel took comfort with his arms wrapped around his mother, relieved that she was fine no matter how close he came to losing Caroline she was still here.

The sounds of Thierry's voice had them both pulling apart from the familial embrace toward the man as he crawled toward Katie, breaking down.

"No. Katie." Thierry reached her body. "No, no, no, no." he sobbed over her dead body, cradling her to him, rocking back and forth.

Marcel turned finally catching Klaus's eyes and nodded at him, grateful that he had been there to lend a hand. He would hate to think where he would be if Katie's stake had struck home in Caroline's chest. How lost he would be with his mother's death.

* * *

Marcel stood across from Thierry, he was chained to a wall in the underground bricked room, that Marcel like to refer as the Garden. "Just tell me this. Was she worth it?" asked Marcel, glaring.

"I loved her, " he answered grief-stricken.

Marcel nodded slowly, his jaw clenching right before he drove an iron stake into Thierry's gut. Thierry groaned out in pain.

Another man appeared, and Marcel handed him a wooden mallet. "Seal him up... and let him rot." He instructed.

The man started to lay bricks over wet cement, clearly intending to build a wall to encase Thierry. A prison of his own making.

He wasn't the first to be sealed down there and he wouldn't be the last, the tunnel was filled with vampires that had met the same fate.

* * *

The courtyard was deserted as the party crowd had henced cleared out.

Klaus, Caroline, and Marcel stood alone on the balcony. Caroline overlooked the courtyard as Marcel and Klaus clinked their drinks against each other.

Marcel downed his drink. "How much did Cami see?"

"She just saw an argument, mate," Klaus assured him. "It's nothing you can't fix. You really like her, don't you?"

" _God,_ I hope not." Caroline groaned.

Marcel nudged her shoulder with his. "We talked about this."

Caroline pursed her lips in response.

"I like that she's not a part of any of this," Marcel admitted. "Sometimes it's good to see the world the way the humans do."

"I am sorry about Thierry, you know? I can tell he was a good friend."

Caroline resisted the urge to scoff, not believing Klaus for a second as she cast him a doubtful look.

"I made him what he was," said Marcel and shook his head. "Obviously, my trust was misplaced."

"Yes, it was." Caroline stared straight at Klaus and he caught her gaze, having the feeling that she was not talking about Thierry.

Klaus tore his gaze away from her. "Doesn't make it easier."

"You were there for us tonight. I guess I owe you one." Marcel admitted, turning to him. "You asked for your brother back. Seems like the least I can do."

Klaus gave the smallest of nods.

Marcel nodded back, he reached out squeezing his mother's hand and kissed her cheek as he turned and left, leaving just Caroline and Klaus.

Klaus waited till he knew Marcel was gone before moving closer to Caroline, grabbing her hand, he stared hard into her eyes. "What the hell were you thinking getting in front of that stake? How could you have been so willing to die?!"

Caroline wrenched her hand out of his grasp. "I was thinking of saving my son. When you love someone you're willing to die for them because their life means more to than your own."

"No one's life means more than yours, Caroline! You could have been killed!" snapped Klaus. "A little lower and that stake would have pierced your heart and we wouldn't be having this conversation!"

"And whose fault would that have been?!" Caroline challenged. " _You_ were behind everything that happened tonight!"

Klaus's expression flickered as he took a step back from her. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes, you do." she scoffed, taking a step toward him and shoving him against the balcony. "You know exactly what I'm talking about. I don't know what your end game was tonight but I know you set everything in motion. You convince Marcel to send vampires to the Cauldron, you were watching everything with Thierry unfold like it was a damn movie. It's pretty convenient that Thierry so happened to have that spell and the fact that you were there on the street tonight. It's all too much of a coincidence. I know you were behind all of it. If there's anyone Marcel shouldn't have put his trust in, it's you."

Klaus gave a taunting smirk, his eyes cold. "Easy there love, your starting to sound like me with your paranoia and conspiracy theories."

"You may have Marcel fooled but not me." Caroline's eyes flashed. "I don't care what the hell you're up to but you almost got my son killed tonight. If any harm comes to him because of your actions I will personally make you suffer."

She gave him one last shove before brushing past him, down the steps to the courtyard and out of the compound.

Klaus watched her go, clenching his jaw. It was like every time he felt like he was making a step forward with her, in reality, it was two more steps back.

* * *

Klaus walked in, his eyes scanning for someone in particular until they landed on the blonde drinking alone at the bar, he walked forward sliding into the seat next to her. "Cami-"

"Don't even try it." Cami cut him off. "I get the bro code. You're here to smooth things over for your friend. It's very nice of you, but—"

"But you've been hurt before, and you aren't taking any more chances." Said Klaus knowingly.

"Something like that," Cami admitted, looking to him in surprise. "The guy I saw tonight—not the guy I thought he was. And if he can turn on a dime like that—"

"Sounds like more than just a broken heart. Someone broke your trust." Klaus looked at her closely.

Cami felt her heart skip a beat at his gaze, she swallowed, and slowly leaned in.

" _Don't_." his tone was sharp like a blade. "I'm only interested in one woman and that woman is not you."

Cami swallowed again, looking down as her face red hot with embarrassment. "I'm sorry, I thought-"

"You thought wrong," Klaus said sharply, his jaw clenching, he motioned for the bartender to pour him a shot and downed it as soon as it was put in front of him. "A long time ago, I saw this girl, she was everything I wasn't. She was kind, compassionate, understanding. She had this light about her that drew me in like a month to a flame and she had this innocence that was completely untouched. I was in awe of her mere existence, her _true beauty_ and I have never been mesmerized like that again in my entire life."

Cami looked back up her embarrassment forgotten as his words captured her. "You must really love her."

Klaus looked at her. "No one has ever left their mark on me the way she did."

"What happened to her?" Cami wondered. "Are you still together?" She knew Caroline was his wife but if she was the woman he spoke of wouldn't they still be together. Maybe this woman was the reason things with his wife didn't work out.

"No, but I aim to change that. I came back to this town and found that my wife was here and I fully intend to get her back, no other woman could ever hope to hold a candle to her."

Okay, so Caroline and woman were the same person, Cami thought disheartened. There went that theory.

"Now enough about me," Klaus said, getting back to business. "I wanted to talk to you about Marcel, I need you to give him another chance."

"No," Cami shook her head, still reeling to learn that he was a married man and Caroline, his wife, was the woman he spoke of. "I can't."

"You will." his voice changed, locking eyes with her with the intent to compel her. "You went to Marcel's. You danced. You feel badly that he had a row with his friend, but otherwise, all you remember is that it was perfect."

* * *

Klaus stepped into his home the sound of someone playing music filling the air. He spotted Rebekah at the piano.

Rebekah sat up straighter, moving her fingers off the keys. "Well, tonight was an epic failure."

"On the contrary, sister. I'll have to disagree, everything didn't go as planned but everything worked out."

"Are you mad?" Rebekah demanded. "Katie died before Sophie could complete the spell."

"Oh, I'm well aware. I had a hand in her death even if Caroline ripped her heart out." He gave a careless shrug as if to say what can you do.

"You what?" Rebekah said in disbelief.

"There's no way our little suicide witch wasn't gonna try and take out Marcel with her." Klaus's expression darkened. "I hadn't counted on Caroline stepping in front of him to save his life, I had planned on saving his life by killing Katie, it didn't work out how I planned completely but the result was the same, I now have Marcel exactly where I want him."

"Sophie trusted you." Rebekah accused looking at him in betrayal, a look he was rather familiar with from her. "I trusted you against all my better instincts."

"Wake up, Rebekah. The witches are on no one side but their own. This girl, Davina? That's all they want, and when they have her, what do you think happens then? A truce? Of course not. They will use Davina's power against all of us. " Klaus said, speaking down to her, wanting his sister to stop being so naive.

"Even if you're right, the plan was to find Elijah, and you've failed us." Rebekah accused angrily.

"You always did lack faith," said Klaus dismissively. "By protecting Marcel, I've cemented his trust, so much so that he's agreed to return Elijah to us. Only Caroline is suspicious but I can work around that. And when the time is right, when Marcel has told me everything I need to know about Davina, I will have her for myself and I will take my wife back."

"I have all the faith in the world that you'll get what you want, Nik." Rebekah stood up slowly, moving around the piano. "You always do, no matter what cost there is to the rest of us. You disgust me." she took one last sip of her bourbon and set the glass on the piano top and pushed past him, judgment and blame coming off her in waves.

Klaus clenched his jaw, but he couldn't afford to care about her opinions.

* * *

The sound of a door opening had Davina looking up from where she was kneeling next to Elijah's open casket. Her eyes widened, a relieved smile appearing when she saw Marcel walk in. She got to her feet, running to close the distance between them, throwing her arms around him. "You're okay! I was so worried." she pulled back her smile, faltering. "Caroline?"

"She's fine." he was quick to assure her. "I'm sure she'll be here any minute." he paused, gripping her by the shoulders. "Thank you. Whatever you did, I felt it. You helped me."

"It was the old ones, wasn't it?" asked Davina.

"Actually, Klaus helped saved me tonight," Marcel told her. "I'm gonna make things right, starting off by giving him his brother back." he moved toward Klaus's coffin.

Davina stepped in his path. "No."

"What?" Marcel looked at her bewildered. "Davina—"

"No. You said the old ones were dangerous. I won't give him back until I know how to kill them." Davina stated defiantly.

"And you shouldn't." Caroline walked into the attic.

Davina's face lit up. "Caroline!"

Caroline stopped in front of her, taking her by the hands. "Thank you for warning me that my son was in trouble. I hate to think what could have happened otherwise."

Davina nodded. "I would never let any harm come to you or Marcel if I can help it."

Caroline smiled. "The feelings mutual," she squeezed her hand before turning to face Marcel. "Klaus does not get what he wants."

"Caroline, he was there for us tonight." Marcel protested. "Doing this for him is the least we could do."

"No, it's not. He orchestrated everything tonight." Caroline gritted out. "And in doing so he almost got you killed."

"Caroline, I think you might be projecting your anger for him into something that-"

"I'm not projecting anything," Caroline argued. "I know he was behind tonight, I don't why but he is up to something and we need to find out what. Don't let your past with him blind you to what is happening now."

"I think you're letting your feelings blind you into believing he's out to hurt us," Marcel said carefully.

"Because he is!" she exclaimed. "You almost died tonight!"

"No," Marcel frowned. "You did. I never want you stepping in front of a stake for me again."

"What?" Davina looked at Caroline worriedly.

"I'm fine." Caroline offered her a comforting smile. "It missed my heart."

"Barely," Marcel argued, his eyes flickered to where he could still see the stain of blood against her skin. "It was close. Too close. I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if you would have died because of me."

Caroline's eyes softened and she placed a motherly hand to his cheek. "Not because of you. _For you_. It's a mother's job to always, always put her child first. It's never a question of choice to save someone you love at the cost of yourself. And that is what I did tonight. I just acted because your life is more important to me than my own."

Marcel placed his hand over her's, affection and warmth in his eyes.

Davina felt her chest tightened, watching their exchange wishing her mother had felt that way about her instead her mother was ready to watch her die.

She felt Caroline's hand wrap around her own, tugging the girl into her side, she turned her head and pressed a kiss to her hair. "That goes for you, too. Your life means more to me than you could ever know."

The tightness in Davina's chest lessened as a sudden warmth filled her and she leaned in toward Caroline, a smile unbidden on her lips.

Caroline let her hand far away from Marcel's face. "I will always put the two of you first, you don't have to like it but you _will_ accept it."

Marcel nodded and smiled slightly, before Caroline he had grown up without a family but from the moment he met her he knew what it was to have someone care about you unselfishly and unconditionally and Caroline never once faltered in her love for him and he brought Davina that same warm sense of family. Because that was what the three of them were.

They were family.

* * *

Rebekah walked down a street in the Quarter, she still wore her gown though her hair was slightly disheveled. She caught sight of Marcel and quickly turned the other way but he stood in her path. "You're following me." she accused.

He walked toward her and Rebekah took a step back for every step he took until her back was pressed against a storefront.

Marcel pressed in close to her. "Maybe you're just in my way."

Rebekah stared up at him, her breath caught in her throat, his body almost brushing against hers.

Marcel could see the want in her eyes as he searched her face, abruptly he turned and walked away.

Rebekah exhaled slowly, shutting her eyes, trying to push down the sudden emotion his closeness had brought on.

* * *

Sophie waved a smoking bundle of herbs over Katie's body, preparing her for her final rites. Witches gathered around her, including the old witch Agnes and Sophie friend, Sabine.

"I told you no good would come from this unholy alliance of yours," Agnes said in disapproval.

"At least I'm doing something," Sophie responded, she stood and turned to Agnes challengingly. "What about you?"

"Do you really think connecting ourselves to the Originals will do us any good?" Agnes stepped forward, jaw clenching. "It makes us no better than the vampires we're fighting against."

Murmurs of agreement echoed through the witches and Sophie felt a wave of uneasiness.

* * *

Caroline walked up the familiar path of the suburban area of New Orleans, it wasn't too far from the pier.

She closed her fist and rapped on the door and waited. She didn't have to wait long because moments later the door was being pulled open, her eyes took David in wearing nothing but a pair of black sweats that hung dangerously low on his hips.

"Hey," David opened his door wider, stepping back without a word. "I didn't think I'd be seeing you tonight."

"Are you complaining?" Caroline asked, stepping into his home.

"Definitely not." David closed the door behind her, turning around to take her in. "You look amazing in that dress."

"Thank you," she stepped forward her hands landing low on his hips, her thumb brushing his bare skin. "You look great with your shirt off."

David chuckled brushing her hair back over her shoulder and the smile on his face faded almost instantly when he saw the tear in her dress and the blood against her skin. "What happened?"

"Things got a little out of hand at the party." Caroline dismissed. "Look I don't want to talk about it I just really want to forget tonight."

David nodded. "I can help with that," he slipped his hand beneath the strap of her dress, tugging it down her arm, and dipped his head, his tongue stroking across the dried blood on her skin, clearing it away.

Caroline's hand slid behind his neck, fingers curling into his hair, she gave a silent sigh at the feel of his tongue licking her skin at the top of her breast.

She tugged at his hair until he lifted his head and crashed her lips against his.

David's wasted no time in deepening the kiss, stroking his tongue against hers, his hand moved restlessly over her body, he reached behind her looking for the zipper on her dress and pulled it down, tugging at the fabric once it loosened until it poured at her feet.

He ripped his mouth from hers, panting, his eyes drifting down her body, her breast bare the only thing covering her was a scrap of black lace. "Bloody hell, your gorgeous woman."

Caroline laughed, he made it sound like a bad thing and it was flattering to her ego, she slid a hand down his chest to his waist and slipped her hand beneath the waistband of his pants, finding him already hard. "Are you saying that because you want sex?"

David slipped his thumb beneath the sides of her underwear and tugged them down her legs making her lose contact with him. "I'm saying your gorgeous because you are and I can't imagine any man who is lucky enough to have caught your attention not want you. Somedays, being with you is all I think about."

Caroline pushed impatiently at his pants as she kicked her dress and underwear away from her feet. "Then stop thinking about it and do it."

David shoved his pants down quickly, then reached for her, arms banding around her back and lifted her, hiking her up against his body.

Caroline wrapped her legs around his waist and wrapped one arm around his shoulder, the other slipped between them, grabbing his erection and positioning him at her entrance, locking eyes with him, she slid down, her mouth parting at the feeling of him inside her.

"Fuck," David cursed, pressing her tightly against the wall, his hands moving to slam against it, palms flat, hips jerking upward feeling her wrapping around every inch of him. "You're perfect."

Caroline moaned as he started thrusting into her hard and fast, she buried her face in his neck, her fangs dropping, she grazed her teeth against his flesh, right before she sank her teeth into him, his blood filling her mouth as he filled her.

"Caroline." David groaned in pleasure, hips jerking against hers.

Caroline mind blanked out as she lost herself in David, forgetting the last couple of hours, letting him distract her from everything she wanted to forget.

And it worked. For now.

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for reading! Reviews are encouraged!**


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